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Close 

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I  * 


On  the  Cover 


A  church  on  the  move.  This  is  the 
import  of  the  photographs  reproduced 
on  this  issue's  cover.  Progress  on 
the  new  Church  office  building  is 
portrayed  with-  the  Salt  Lake  Temple — 
the  old  with  the  new.  Members  of  the 
Church  have  always  sought  the  best  of 
both.  The  smaller  photographs  were 
taken  at  the  October  general  confer- 
ence. They  represent  the  Church 
membership  on  the  move — building, 
growing,  doing  meaningful  things. 
These  seem  timely  themes  on  which 
to  close  the  878th  consecutive  issue 
of  the  Improvement  Era. 


Voice  of  the  Church 
Volume  73,  Number  12 
December,1970 


Special  Features 

2       "That  the   Fullness   of    My   Gospel   Might   Be  Proclaimed,"    President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith 

5  Goodbye  to  the  Era,  Elder  Richard  L.  Evans 

6  The    Christmas  I  Remember  Best,  Royal  R.  Meservy 
8       Yea,  Though  I  Walk,  Melvin  DeGraw 

10  Sixty-nine  Years  of  the  Children's  Friend,  Mary  R.  Jack 

13  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  1898-1970 

14  Emma  Ray  Riggs  McKay,  1877-1970 
14  Anonymous   Miracle 

18        How  Children   Learn,   Rodger  A.   Pool 

26-127    ConferenceAddresses 


Regular  Features 

Witness  the  Christ,  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott 

Lest  We  Forget:  They  Who  Served,  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr. 

LDS  Scene 

The  Church  Moves  On 

Presiding  Bishop's  Page:  The  Presiding  Bishop  Talks  to  Youth  About 

Being  in  the  World  But  Not  of  the  World,  Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg 

Buffs  and  Rebuffs 

Today's  Family:  "Welcome  to  My  World  .  .  .  ,"  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott 

On  This  Christmas  Day,  Greetings 

These  Times:  Ensignship  for  Future  Times,  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham 

End  of  an  Era 

The  Spoken  Word,  Richard  L.  Evans 
49,  93,  104,  128 

bra  OT  YOUth  Marion  D.  Hanks  and  Elaine  Cannon,  Editors 
And  After  the  Manger  Scene,  What?  Kenneth  W.  Godfrey 
A  Capsule  of  Conference  for  Youth 
Scout  Sub,  Dora  D.  Flack 
The  Fragrance  of  Christmas,  Marion  D.  Hanks 
Quiet  Thoughts  for  Christmas 
Beautiful  Things  Happen  At  Christmas,  Elaine  Cannon 


24 
129 
130 
132 
136 

137 
138 
140 
141 

144 


146 
148 
150 
152 
154 
157 


Fiction  and  Poetry 


20 
19, 


A  Matter  of  Direction,  Lael  J.  Littke 
105 
Poetry 


Joseph  Fielding  Smith,  Richard  L.  Evans,  Editors;  Doyle  L.  Green,  Managing  Editor;  Jay  M.  Todd,  Assistant  Managing  Editor;  Eleanor 
Knowles,  Copy  Editor;  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott,  Manuscript  Editor;  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr.,  Research  Editor;  Bernell  W.  Berrett,  Editorial 
Associate;  G.  Homer  Durham,  Hugh  Nibley,  Albert  L.  Payne,  Truman  G.  Madsen,  Elliott  Landau,  Leonard  Arrington,  Contributing 
Editors;  Marion  D.  Hanks,  Era  of  Youth  Editor;  Elaine  Cannon,  Era  of  Youth  Associate  Editor;  Ralph  Reynolds,  Art  Director;  Nor- 
man Price,  Staff  Artist. 

W.  Jay  Eldredge,  General  Manager;  Florence  S.  Jacobsen,  Associate  General  Manager;  Verl  F.  Scott,  Business  Manager;  A,  Glen 
Snarr,   Circulation    Manager;   S.   Glenn   Smith,    Advertising    Representative. 

©  General  Superintendent,  Young  Men's  Mutual  Improvement  Association  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  1970; 
published  by  the  Mutual   Improvement  Associations.     All   rights  reserved. 

Entered  at  the  Post  Office,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah,  as  second  class  matter.  Acceptance  for  mailing  at  special  rate  of  postage  provided 
for  in  section  1103,  Act  of  October  1917,  authorized  July  2,  1918. 

Subscription  price  $4.00  a  year,  in  advance;  35c  single  copy  except  special  issues.  Thirty  days'  notice  required  for  change  of 
address.  When  ordering  a  change,  please  include  your  address  label  from  a  recent  issue  of  the  magazine;  address  changes  can- 
not be  made  unless  the  old  address,  as  well  as  the  new  one,   is   included. 

The  Improvement  Era  welcomes  contributions  but  is  not  responsible  for  unsolicited   manuscripts.     Manuscripts   must  be  accom- 
panied by  sufficient  postage  for  delivery  and  return.    Payment  is   made  upon  acceptance.  Advertising:  The  Era  is  pleased  to  carry 
advertisements  of  interest  to  readers,  but  doing  so  does   not  imply  Church   endorsement  of  the  advertiser  or  his   product. 
Official  organ  of  the  Priesthood  Quorums,  Mutual  Improvement  Associations,   Home  Teaching  Committee,  Music 
Committee,   Church   School   System,   and   other  agencies  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints. 

The  Improvement  Era,  79  South  State,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah  84111 


Era,  December  1970    1 


"That  theFulness  of  My  Gospel 


The 
Editor's  F&ge 


By  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith 


•  My  beloved  brethren  and  sisters,  we 
bid  you  welcome  at  the  commencement 
of  this  the  140th  Semiannual  Confer- 
ence of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints. 

We  are  grateful  that  the  Lord  has 
given  us  this  privilege  of  coming  to- 
gether again  to  worship  him  in  spirit 
and  in  truth,  and  we  pray  that  there 
may  be  a  great  outpouring  of  his  Spirit 
in  the  sessions  of  this  conference. 

We  extend  a  special  welcome  to 
our  Father's  other  children,  devout  and 
good  people  of  many  faiths  who  join 
with  us  by  listening  to  the  radio  and 
television  broadcasts. 

I  hope  that  I  may  now  have  the 
sustaining  power  of  your  faith  and 
prayers  as  I  speak  to  you.  I  rejoice  in 
the  privilege  of  raising  my  voice  in 
doctrine,  in  testimony,  and  in  thanks- 
giving. 

For  more  than  sixty  years  I  have 
preached  the  gospel  in  the  stakes  and 
missions  of  the  Church — pleading  with 
the  Saints  to  keep  the  commandments, 
inviting  our  Father's  other  children  to 
accept  the  truth  of  salvation  which 
has  come  to  us  by  revelation  in  this 
present  dispensation. 

All  my  days  I  have  studied  the 
scriptures  and  have  sought  the  guidance 
of  the  Spirit  of  the  Lord  in  coming  to 
an  understanding  of  their  true  mean- 
ing. The  Lord  has  been  good  to  me, 
and  I  rejoice  in  the  knowledge  he  has 
given  me  and  in  the  privilege  that  has 
been  and  is  mine  to  teach  his  saving 
principles. 

As  I  ponder  the  principles  of  the  gos- 
pel, I  am  struck  forcibly  by  the  uniform 
manner  in  which  I  and  all  the  Breth- 
ren have  taught  them  over  the  years. 
The  truths  of  the  gospel  are  ever- 
lastingly the  same.  Like  God  himself, 
they  are  the  same  yesterday,  today, 
and  forever.   What  I  have  taught  and 


written  in  the  past  I  would  teach  and 
write  again  under  the  same  circum- 
stances. 

And  what  I  say  of  myself  should  be 
true  for  all  the  Brethren  and  for  all 
the  elders  of  the  Church.  We  are  all 
called  to  preach  the  gospel,  to  be 
ministers  of  Christ,  to. raise  the  warn- 
ing voice,  and  to  "teach  one  another 
the  doctrine  of  the  kingdom." 

In  the  early  days  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, the  Lord  said  to  those  called  in 
his  ministry,  "that  every  man  might 
speak  in  the  name  of  God  the  Lord, 
even  the  Savior  of  the  world;  .  .  .  That 
the  fulness  of  my  gospel  might  be 
proclaimed  by  the  weak  and  the  sim- 
ple unto  the  ends  of  the  world,  and 
before  kings  and  rulers."  (D&C  1:20, 
23.) 

To  those  called  "to  go  forth  to 
preach"  his  gospel  and  to  all  "the 
elders,  priests  and  teachers"  of  his 
church,  he  said:  They  "shall  teach  the 
principles  of  my  gospel,  which  are  in 
the  Bible  and  the  Book  of  Mormon," 
and  the  other  scriptures,  "as  they  shall 
be  directed  by  the  Spirit."  (See  D&C 
42:11-13.) 

As  agents  of  the  Lord  we  are  not 
called  or  authorized  to  teach  the 
philosophies  of  the  world  or  the  specu- 
lative theories  of  our  scientific  age. 
Our  mission  is  to  preach  the  doctrines 
of  salvation  in  plainness  and  simplici- 
ty as  they  are  revealed  and  recorded 
in  the  scriptures. 

After  directing  us  to  teach  the  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel  found  in  the  stan- 
dard works,  as  guided  by  the  Spirit,  the 
Lord  then  made  that  great  pronounce- 
ment which  governs  all  the  teaching  of 
his  gospel  by  anyone  in  the  Church: 
"And  the  Spirit  shall  be  given  unto 
you  by  the  prayer  of  faith;  and  if  ye 
receive  not  the  Spirit  ye  shall  not 
teach."  (D&C  42:14.) 


Might  Be  Proclaimed' I 


Address  delivered  at  general  conference  Friday  morning,  October  2,  1970 


In  harmony  with  the  spirit  of  these 
revelations,  and  with  a  heart  full  of 
love  for  all  men,  I  ask  the  members 
of  the  Church  to  learn  and  live  the 
gospel  and  to  use  their  strength,  energy, 
and  means  in  proclaiming  it  to  the 
world.  We  have  received  a  commission 
from  the  Lord.  He  has  given  a  divine 
mandate.  He  has  commanded  us  to  go 
forth  with  unwearying  diligence  and 
offer  to  his  other  children  those  sav- 
ing truths  revealed  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith. 

God  our  Eternal  Father  is  the  author 
of  the  plan  of  salvation.  This  plan  is 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ;  it  is  that 
"through  the  Atonement  of  Christ,  all 
mankind  may  be  saved,  by  obedience 
to  the  laws  and  ordinances  of  the 
Gospel."  (Article  of  Faith  3.) 

In  every  age  when  the  gospel  is  on 
earth,  it  must  be  revealed  to  the  Lord's 
prophets,  and  they  must  be  called  to 
stand  as  legal  administrators  to  per- 
form and  to  direct  the  performance 
of  the  ordinances  of  salvation  for  their 
fellowmen. 

Joseph  Smith  is  the  prophet  whom 
the  Lord  called  in  this  day  to  restore 
the  truths  of  salvation  and  to  receive 
the  keys  and  powers  to  administer 
these  saving  truths. 

To  him  the  Lord  said:  ".  .  .  this 
generation  shall  have  my  word  through 
you."  (D&C  5:10.)  And  then,  referring 
to  the  gospel  restored  through  Joseph 
Smith,  the  Lord  said:  "This  Gospel  of 
the  Kingdom  shall  be  preached  in  all 
the  world,  for  a  witness  unto  all  na- 
tions, and  then  shall  the  end  come,  or 
the  destruction  of  the  wicked."  (Joseph 
Smith  1:31.) 

Thus  we  link  the  names  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  of  Joseph  Smith.  Christ  is 
the  Lord;  he  worked  out  the  atoning 
sacrifice;  he  is  the  resurrection  and  the 
life;  through  him  all  men  are  raised 


in  immortality,  while  those  who  be- 
lieve and  obey  his  laws  shall  also  gain 
eternal  life. 

Joseph  Smith  was  a  prophet,  called 
in  these  last  days  to  receive  by  revela- 
tion the  saving  truths  of  the  gospel 
and  to  stand  as  a  legal  administrator, 
having  power  from  on  high,  to  admin- 
ister the  ordinances  of  the  gospel. 

Since  these  truths  revealed  through 
him  are  the  ones  which  shall  go  forth 
to  every  nation  before  the  Second  Com- 
ing, it  is  little  wonder  that  we  find 
Moroni  saying  to  Joseph  Smith  that 
his  "name  should  be  had  for  good  and 
evil  among  all  nations,  kindreds,  and 
tongues,  or  that  it  should  be  both  good 
and  evil  spoken  of  among  all  people." 
(Joseph  Smith  2:33.) 

Nor  is  it  any  wonder  when  we  later 
find  the  Lord  saying  to  the  Prophet: 
"The  ends  of  the  earth  shall  inquire 
after  thy  name,  and  fools  shall  have 
thee  in  derision,  and  hell  shall  rage 
against  thee; 

"While  the  pure  in  heart,  and  the 
wise,  and  the  noble,  and  the  virtuous, 
shall  seek  counsel,  and  authority,  and 
blessings  constantly  from  under  thy 
hand."  (D&C  122:1-2.) 

The  ends  of  the  earth  are  now  be- 
ginning to  inquire  after  the  name  of 
Joseph  Smith,  and  many  people  in 
many  nations  are  rejoicing  in  the 
gospel  restored  through  his  instru- 
mentality. 

Since  the  beginning  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, the  testimony  of  Jesus,  as  revealed 
to  Joseph  Smith,  has  been  preached  in 
the  United  States,  Canada,  Great  Brit- 
ain, most  of  Europe,  and  the  islands 
of  the  Pacific. 

In  recent  years  there  has  been  an 
almost  unbelievable  expansion  of  the 
work  in  Mexico,  in  the  Central  Ameri- 
can countries,  and  in  South  America. 

And  Asia  is  now  being  opened  to  the 


message  of  the  gospel  in  a  way  that 
surpasses  anything  of  the  past.  The 
Church  is  becoming  established  in 
Japan  and  Korea,  in  Taiwan  and  Hong 
Kong,  and  we  are  getting  started  in 
Thailand,  Singapore,  and  Indonesia. 

And  the  day  will  come,  in  the  provi- 
dence of  the  Lord,  when  other  nations, 
now  closed  to  the  message  of  truth, 
shall  have  their  doors  opened  to  us, 
and  the  elders  of  Israel  will  go  in  to 
tell  the  honest  in  heart  in  those  na- 
tions about  Christ  and  the  gospel  of  his 
kingdom  that  has  come  upon  the  earth 
in  this  day  through  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith. 

Indeed,  there  are  more  doors  opened 
to  us  now  than  we  can  enter  with  the 
number  of  missionaries  who  are  avail- 
able. We  hope  to  see  the  day  when 
every  worthy  and  qualified  young 
Latter-day  Saint  man  will  have  the 
privilege  of  going  forth  on  the  Lord's 
errand  to  stand  as  a  witness  of  the 
truth  in  the  nations  of  the  earth. 

We  now  have  many  and  can  use 
many  more  stable  and  mature  couples 
in  this  great  missionary  cause,  and  we 
hope  that  those  who  are  worthy  and 
qualified  will  set  their  affairs  in  order 
and  respond  to  calls  to  preach  the  gos- 
pel and  will  perform  their  obligations 
acceptably. 

We  also  have  and  can  use  many 
young  sisters  in  this  work,  although 
the  same  responsibility  does  not  rest 
upon  them  that  rests  upon  the  breth- 
ren, and  our  greater  concern  with 
reference  to  young  sisters  is  that  they 
enter  proper  marital  unions  in  the 
temples  of  the  Lord. 

We  invite  members  of  the  Church  to 
assist  financially  in  sustaining  the 
missionary  cause  and  to  contribute 
liberally  of  their  means  for  the  spread 
of  the  gospel. 

We  commend  those  who  are  serving 


Era,  December  1970    3 


so  valiantly  in  the  great  missionary 
cause.  Joseph  Smith  said:  "After  all 
that  has  been  said,  the  greatest  and 
most  important  duty  is  to  preach  the 
gospel."  (Teachings  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  p.  113.) 

We  invite  our  Father's  children 
everywhere  to  give  heed  to  the  words 
of  the  missionaries  who  are  reaching 
the  nations  of  the  earth. 

We  plead  with  them  to  accept  the 
Lord  as  their  God  and  to  come  and 
worship  him  in  spirit  and  in  truth 
and  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  our 
Lord. 

We  invite  all  men  to  believe  in 
Christ,  to  accept  him  without  reserva- 
tion as  the  Son  of  God,  as  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Father,  to  have  faith 
in  his  holy  name,  and  to  signify  their 
love  for  him  by  keeping  his  command- 
ments and  receiving  those  whom  he  has 
sent  in  his  name  to  preach  his  gospel. 

We  know  that  if  men  will  have  faith 
in  Christ,  repent  of  their  sins,  cove- 
nant in  the  waters  of  baptism  to  keep 
his  commandments,  and  then  receive 
the  Holy  Ghost  by  the  laying  on  of 
hands  by  those  who  are  called  and 
ordained  unto  this  power — and  if  they 
will  then  keep  the  commandments — 
they  shall  have  peace  in  this  life  and 
eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come. 

Now  may  I  say  to  all  those  who  for- 
sake the  world  and  join  the  Church, 
and  to  all  the  members  of  the  Church, 
that  Church  membership  alone  will 
not  assure  us  of  the  full  blessings  of 
the  gospel  or  guarantee  us  an  entrance 
into  the  celestial  kingdom.  After  bap- 
tism we  must  keep  the  commandments 
and  endure  to  the  end. 

Speaking  to  members  of  the  church, 
Nephi  said:  ".  .  .  after  ye  have  gotten 
into  this  straight  and  narrow  path,  I 
would  ask  if  all  is  done?" 

Then  he   answered:  "Behold,  I  say 


unto  you,  Nay;  for  ye  have  not  come 
thus  far  save  it  were  by  the  word  of 
Christ  with  unshaken  faith  in  him, 
relying  wholly  upon  the  merits  of  him 
who  is  mighty  to  save. 

"Wherefore,  ye  must  press  forward 
with  a  steadfastness  in  Christ,  having 
a  perfect  brightness  of  hope,  and  a  love 
of  God  and  of  all  men.  Wherefore,  if 
ye  shall  press  forward,  feasting  upon 
the  word  of  Christ,  and  endure  to  the 
end,  behold,  thus  saith  the  Father:  Ye 
shall  have  eternal  life."  (2  Ne.  31:19- 
20.) 

There  is  no  more  important  thing 
that  anyone  in  the  world  can  do  than 
to  receive  the  gospel  and  inherit  its 
glorious  blessings. 

And  there  is  no  more  impotrant 
counsel  that  can  be  given  to  any  mem- 
ber of  the  Church  than  to  keep  the 
commandments  after  baptism.  The 
Lord  offers  us  salvation  on  condition 
of  repentance  and  faithfulness  to  his 
laws. 

I  plead  with  the  world  to  repent 
and  believe  the  truth,  to  let  the  light 
of  Christ  shine  in  their  lives,  to  keep 
every  good  and  true  principle  they 
have,  and  to  add  to  these  the  further 
light  and  knowledge  that  has  come  by 
revelation  in  this  day.  I  plead  with 
them  to  join  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  and  reap 
the  blessings  of  the  gospel. 

I  plead  with  the  members  of  the 
Church  to  do  the  works  of  righteous- 
ness to  keep  the  commandments,  to 
seek  the  Spirit,  to  love  the  Lord,  to  put 
first  in  their  lives  the  things  of  God's 
kingdom,  and  thereby  work  out  their 
salvation  with  fear  and  trembling  be- 
fore the  Lord. 

And  now  to  all  men — in  and  out  of 
the  Church — I  bear  my  testimony  to 
the  truth  and  divinity  of  this  great 
latter-day  work. 


I  know  that  God  lives  and  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  his  Son.  I  have  a  perfect 
knowledge  that  the  Father  and  the  Son 
appeared  to  Joseph  Smith  in  the  spring 
of  1820  and  gave  him  commandments 
to  '  usher  in  the  dispensation  of  the 
fulness  of  times. 

I  know  that  Joseph  Smith  translated 
the  Book  of  Mormon  by  the  gift  and 
power  of  God,  and  that  it  has  come 
forth  "to  the  convincing  of  the  Jew 
and  Gentile  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ, 
the  Eternal  God,  manifesting  himself 
unto  all  nations." 

I  know  that  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  is  the  king- 
dom of  God  on  earth,  and  that  as  now 
constituted  and  officered  it  has  the 
Lord's  approval  and  is  moving  in  the 
course  so  directed. 

Let  all  men  know  assuredly  that  this 
is  the  Lord's  Church  and  he  is  directing 
its  affairs.  What  a  privilege  it  is  to 
have  membership  in  such  a  divine 
institution! 

And  I  pray  that  the  gospel  cause 
shall  spread,  and  that  the  honest  in 
heart  in  every  nation  shall  be  brought 
to  a  knowledge  of  the  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

I  pray  for  the  preservation  and  suc- 
cess of  the  missionaries  and  new  con- 
verts, and  ask  God  our  Father  to  look 
down  upon  them  in  love  and  in  mercy 
and  give  them  the  desires  of  their 
hearts  in  righteousness. 

I  pray  for  the  youth  of  the  Church 
and  of  the  world  in  these  perilous 
times,  times  when  gospel  standards  are 
needed  as  much  as  has  been  the  case 
in  any  age  of  the  earth's  history. 

And  I  thank  the  Lord  for  his  good- 
ness and  grace  and  for  all  the  bless- 
ings he  has  so  abundantly  poured  out 
upon  the  world,  upon  his  church,  and 
upon  us  as  individuals.  In  the  name 
of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.        O 


By  Elder  Richard  L.  Evans 

Editor 
•       And  so  we  come  to  the  end  of  an  Era— an  end  that  is  a  beginning.   The 
Improvement  Era  ceases  publication  with  this  issue.  The  Ensign,  the  New 
Era,  and  the  Friend  begin  their  mission  next  month. 

Emerson  said  that  "an  institution  is  the  lengthened  shadow  of  one 
man."  The  Era  has  been  the  lengthened  shadow  of  many— too  many  to 
mention— and  the  lengthening  of  it  is  beyond  measure  in  the  lives  it  has 
touched  in  its  seventy-three  years  of  service. 

Thanks  to  all  of  you— you  who  brought  it  into  being  under  difficult 
conditions,  with  no  money  but  with  a  conviction  that  the  need  was  there. 

Thanks  to  the  Presidents  of  the  Church  under  whose  guidance  the 
magazine  was  started  and  who  served  as  its  editors  through  all  these 
years— Presidents  Joseph  F.  Smith,  Heber  J.  Grant,  George  Albert  Smith, 
David  O.  McKay,  and  Joseph  Fielding  Smith. 

Thanks  to  you,  you  other  editors— past  and  present— you  business  man- 
agers, you  the  staff. 

Thanks  to  you  the  contributors  through  all  the  years— an  illustrious  long 
list.   O  what  great  ones  there  were— and  are. 

Thanks  to  you,  the  MIA,  the  general  board  members,  the  Presiding 
Bishopric,  the  priesthood  quorums  and  committees,  the  Department  of 
Education,  the  Genealogical  Society,  the  Era  representatives  in  wards  and 
stakes— thanks  to  all  who  have  helped  make  the  Era  an  influence  for  great 
good,  in  many  ways  helping  to  hold  the  Church  together— worldwide. 

Thanks  to  you,  the  subscribers,  the  readers— for  the  whole  intent  is 
that  the  message  be  read  and  touch  the  hearts  and  minds  and  lives  of 
people. 

"The  greatest  use  of  a  life  is  to  spend  it  on  something  that  outlasts  it." 

The  Era  will  forever  outlast  itself  in  its  far-reaching  effects,  as  it  has 
brought  the  written  word  to  the  homes  of  countless  people— worldwide. 

It  shouldn't  take  too  long  to  say  goodbye  when  there  is  a  happy 
ending— and  this  one  is:  an  ending  that  is  but  a  beginning. 

Goodbye  to  the  Improvement  Era! 

Welcome  to  the  Ensign,  the  New  Era,  and  the  Friend! 

The  old  and  the  new— but  the  message  is  constant,  and  the  purpose  is 
that  each  of  us  shall  find  peace  and  happiness  and  the  highest  possibilities 
of  everlasting  life. 

"God  bless  us,  everyone."  O 


Era,  December  3970    5 


0. 


•  It  was  the  Sunday  before  Christ- 
mas, and  our  family  was  discussing 
memorable  Chris  tmases.  After  some 
discussions  among  the  children,  my 
eleven-year-old  son  Greg  asked, 
"Dad,  which  Christmas  do  you  re- 
member best?  Will  you  tell  us 
about  it?" 

That  was  a  big  Order,  but  after  a 
few  minutes'  hesitation,  I  pro- 
ceeded to  tell  them  this  experience: 

The  Christmas  that  stands  out 
most  in  my  mind  was  that  of  1944, 
during  World  War  II.  We  had, 
fought  through  the  Battle  of  the 
Ardennes  and  were  then  sent  to  the 
Siegfried  Line  to  replace  the  Sec- 
ond Division.  We  had  been  "there  a 
week  when  the  German  offensive 
known  as  the  Belgian  Bulge  began. 
We  were  right  on  the  nose  of  that 
thrust  and  were  commanded  to  hold 
at  all  costs.  For  two  and  a  half  days 
we  fought  and  held.  But  finally, 
on  December  19,  1944,  we  were 
forced  to  surrender. 

After  we  were  searched,  we  stood 
out  in  a  barnyard  all  night.  The 
next  morning  we  began  a  march  of 
thirty-eight  miles.  There  was  no 
food,  except  part  of  a  raw  sugar 
beet  that  I  dashed  into  a  field  to 
get  as  we  marched  along. 

The  following  morning,  after 
sleeping  on  the  cold,  damp  ground, 
we  moved  slowly  forward.  We  ar- 
rived at  a  big  building  about  noon 
and  were  given  two  packages  of 
German  emergency  ration  crackers 
and  a  ride  to  the  Geroldstein,  Ger- 
many, railway  station,  where  we 
slept  on  the  hard  cement.  On 
December  21,  we  were  loaded 
aboard  a  train  of  boxcars,  with  65 
men  to  each  car.  The  sliding  doors 
on  either  side  of  the  car  were  wired 
shut  from  the  outside.  There  was 
no  food  or  water. 

December  23, 1944,  found  us  out- 


Dr.  Royal  R;  Meservy,  assistant 
clerk  and  choir  director  in  the 
Whittier  (California)  Fifth  Ward,  is 
counselor  at  Fullerton  Junior  Col- 
lege. 


side  of  Diez,  still  cramped  up  m| 
boxcar,  hungry  and  thirsty.  It  was* 
on  this  memorable  afternoon  that 
I  learned  the  true  meaning  of 
Christmas. 

Just  before  dark  American 
bombers  flew  overhead,  and  bombs 
fell  so  close  that  one  boxcar  door 
was  ripped  entirely  off.  As  the-, 
bombing  continued,  someone  asked, 
"Has  anybody  got  a  Bible?"  I 
reached  into  my  pocket  and  handed 
him  my  pocket  edition  of  the  New 
Testament.  He  turned  to  the  sec- 
ond chapter  of  St.  Luke  and  read: 

"And  there  were  in  the  same 
country  shepherds  abiding  in  the 
field,  keeping  watch  over  their 
flock  by  night. 

"And,  lo,  the  angel  of  the  Lord 
came  upon  them,  and  the  glory  of 
the  Lord  shone  round  about  them: 
and  they  were  sore  afraid. 

"And  the  angel  said  unto  thenv 
Fear  not:  for,  behold,  I  bring  you 
good  tidings  of  great  joy,  which 
shall  be  to  all  people. 

"For  unto  you  is  born  this  day 
in  the  city  of  David  a  Saviour, 
which  is  Christ  the  Lord. 

"And  this  shall  be  a  sign  unto 
you;  Ye  shall  find  the  babe  wrapped 
in  swaddling  clothes,  lying  in  a 
manger. 

"And  suddenly  there  was  with 
the  angel  a'multitude  of  the  heav- 
enly host  praising  God,  and  saying, 

"Glory  to  God  in  the  highest,  and 
on  earth  peace,  good  will  toward 
men."  (Luke  2:8-14.) 

I  had  heard  that  scripture  read 
year  after  year,  but  never  before  or 
since  with  the  emotion  and  feeling 
with  which  It  was  read  in  that 
boxcar. 

Peace  came  over  us*  He  hanaed 
the  Bible  back^  to  me,  and  we  all 
sat  quietly,  each  deep  in  his  own 
thoughts. 

The  next  day,  after  eighty-eight- 
hours  without  water,  we  were  given 
water  and  later  some  food.  Christ- 
mas of  1944  is  the  one  I  remember 
best  because  I  was  grateful  just  to 
be  alive.  O 


am 


*^!"5' 


...,- 


\r 


•Hf 


«te 


■*      - 


.-.:■'.• 


:;;* 


Jfea,Thoiigh  I  Walk 


By  Melvin  DeGraw 

Illustrated  by  Richard  Bird 

•  I  can  remember  Jotun  very 
faintly  now.  As  the  years  have 
dimmed  the  recollection  of  those 
childhood  experiences  in  central 
Norway,  so  also  have  they  intensi- 
fied my  memory  of  a  few  events  of 
so  many  years  ago.  Tiny  white 
flakes  of  snow  now  swirling  around 
my  window  remind  me  of  Jotun  and 
that  Christmas  many  years  ago. 


It  was  1918  and  winter  was 
severe  in  the  northern  valley  of 
Jotun,  Norway,  where  my  father 
struggled  with  a  small  farm.  Al- 
though the  farmland  was  never 
blessed  with  the  rich  soil  so  abun- 
dant in  western  continents,  we  man- 
aged to  make  ends  meet  with  small 
crops.  It  was  always  hard  work, 
and  we  enjoyed  few  luxuries. 

Christmas  was  a  day  we  all 
looked  forward  to  with  impatience. 
We  began  to  decorate  the  house 
early  in  December,  and  during  the 
following  weeks  we  would  gather 
around  the  old  piano  to  sing  Christ- 


Melvin  DeGraw  became  deeply  interested  in  the  Church  as  a  result  of  read- 
ing some  anti-Mormon  literature  in  the  public  library.  Now  a  convert  of  six 
years,    he   is   an    active    member   of  the  St.    Louis    (Missouri)    First    Ward. 


mas  songs.  There  was  always  much 
laughter  and  reverence  as  the  spirit 
of  our  Messiah's  birthday  cheered 
the  atmosphere. 

When  we  were  very  young,  my 
sisters  and  I  would  cut  out  little 
decorations  for  the  tree,  getting 
everything  ready  for  the  big  night 
when  St.  Nicholas  would  pay  his 
nocturnal  visit. 

It  was  on  the  night  before  Christ- 
mas that  the  incident  so  deeply 
imbedded  in  my  memory  happened. 
I  was  bringing  the  milk  out  of  the 
barn,  walking  briskly  across  the 
newly  fallen  snow  toward  the  tiny, 
brightly  lit  house.  The  air  was 
bitterly  crisp,  and  stars  twinkled 
brilliantly  through  the  vast  black- 
ness overhead. 

Suddenly  I  heard  the  noise— a 
faint,  sharp,  cracking  sound  that 
echoed  slightly  through  the  valley. 
I  stood  paralyzed  in  my  tracks,  with 
the  heavy  milk  buckets  hanging  at 
my  sides.  Now  I  could  hear  noth- 
ing, as  the  silence  engulfed  the  tiny 
plateau  and  the  immense  valley.  I 
strained  my  ears,  every  fiber  in  my 
body  alert  to  the  perception  of  any- 
thing audible.  As  I  stood  for  what 
seemed  to  be  an  eternity,  the  sound 
came  again,  slightly  more  distinct 
than  the  first  time.  It  was  a  grating, 
cracking  noise,  only  an  echo  from 
the  distant  peaks  by  the  time  it 
reached  me. 

Although  I  had  never  heard  this 
sound  before,  I  knew  what  it  was. 
Millions  of  tons  of  ice,  accumulated 
layer  upon  layer  over  the  years, 
were  slipping  slowly  from  one  of 
the  gigantic  peaks! 

I  burst  into  the  house  with  a 
hysterical  scream,  the  words  chok- 
ing in  my  throat.  "Father,  the  ice 
is  going  to  fall!  I  heard  it  crack 
just  now.  It  will  fall  in  the  valley 
and  kill  all  the  people!" 


My  voice  seemed  to  lock  on  me, 
arid  I  stopped  suddenly,  my  hands 
gripping  the  back  of  a  chair.  My 
father  calmly  but  swiftly  came  to 
my  side.  He  did  not  doubt  what  I 
had  heard.  He  could  tell  by  the 
frightened  look  on  my  face.  He 
went  to  the  open  door  and  stood 
silently,  his  breath  visible  in  the 
quickly  chilling  room.  Turning  to 
us,  his  handsome  face  was  long 
and  drawn,  and  the  even  lines  of 
his  brow  were  fashioned  in  worry. 
His  simple  statement  was  conclu- 
sive :  "It  is  the  ice  on  Galdhoping. 
The  people  in  the  valley  must  be 
warned." 

Should  the  ice  slip,  we  all  knew 
that  it  would  avalanche  devas- 
tatingly  through  the  valley,  annihi- 
lating everything  in  its  terrible 
wake.  Such  a  disaster  had  occurred 
the  year  before  my  older  sister  was 
born,  and  both  of  my  father's 
parents  had  perished. 

Father  thought  swiftly.  Time 
would  be  against  him,  and  the  deep 
snow  would  be  an  almost  insur- 
mountable handicap.  He  could 
easily  fall  in  one  of  the  treacherous 
powder  snowdrifts,  which  were  im- 
possible to  detect  at  night;  or  he 
might  perish  along  with  the  people 
in  the  valley,  should  the  avalanche 
develop  before  he  could  return. 

Our  house  was  relatively  safe 
from  danger  because  it  sat  on  a 
little  plateau,  with  the  descending 
valley  rolling  steeply  to  the  south 
of  us.  But  there  were  nine  houses 
in  the  valley.  Father  would  warn 
each  household  and  invite  them  to 
start  back  with  him  toward  the 
plateau. 

Throughout  the  long  night  my 
mother,  my  sisters,  and  I  sat  in  the 
tiny  room,  transfixed  by  the  flick- 
ering yellow  candlelight  as  it  re- 
flected grotesque  shadows  against 
the  wall.  The  sound  of  cracking  ice 
was  now  audible,  echoing  through 
the  valley  at  sporadic  intervals.  It 
was  slipping  maybe  an  inch,  maybe 


a  foot  at  a  time.  How  many  more 
seconds,  minutes,  or  hours  before 
disaster  would  visit  the  valley 
below? 

As  the  first  rays  of  dawn  came 
through  the  windows,  we  thought 
of  this  special  day— Christmas.  And 
we  thought  of  father,  somewhere 
in  the  valley,  who,  with  God's 
strength  and  power,  was  being 
guided  on  a  dangerous  mission. 

It  was  bitterly  cold  and  the  sky 
was  clear  and  crisp  as  we  finally 
gathered  at  the  door,  watching  a 
thin  column  of  people  walk  slowly 
toward  us  on  the  snowy  path  below. 
Father,  his  face  unshaven,  was  in 
the  lead. 

At  11:13  that  Sabbath  morning, 
the  whole  of  Mount  Galdhoping 
seemed  to  empty  into  the  valley 
with  a  rumbling  that  would  leave 
nothing  in  its  wake  but  destruction. 
There  would  be  no  houses  left,  no 
homes  to  go  back  to,  but  the  people 
were  alive.  Yes,  it  was  Christmas! 
Despite  the  destruction,  we  rejoiced 
that  day  and  gave  our  thanks  to  a 
kind  and  merciful  God  who  had 
spared  our  lives  .  .  . 

Now  I  rise  from  my  chair  and 
walk  to  the  window,  watching  a 
tiny  snowflake  come  to  rest  against 
the  wide  pane.  Tears  have  formed 
in  my  eyes  as  again  the  memory  of 
that  eventful  day  comes  back  to  me. 
I  turn  from  the  window  and  my 
heart  warms.  Our  Christmas  tree 
this  year  isn't  big.  The  presents  for 
our  grandchildren  are  waiting  to 
be  opened  by  the  starry-eyed 
youngsters  on  Christmas  morning. 
Youthful  and  innocent,  they  do  not 
yet  know  of  winters  in  Jotun  many 
years  ago.  Oh,  but  they  will  know 
when  they  are  old  enough,  for  this 
is  a  story  that  must  be  repeated  by 
them  to  their  children. 

It  does  a  man  good  to  pause  and 
recall  the  stories  of  his  father.  It 
brings  humble  joy  and  a  spirit  that 
will  last  long  after  the  memories  of 
Christmas  have  passed.  O 


Era,  December  1970    9 


•  Sixty-nine  years  of  joy  for  the 
children, 

Sixty-nine  years  of  help  for  the 
home, 

Sixty-nine  years  of  Primary  achieve- 
ment, 

Sixty -nine  years  of  a  labor  of  love! 

As  the  Primary  Association  move- 
ment spread  to  the  various  com- 
munities and  a  general  board  was 
appointed  to  prepare  lessons  and 
give  general  supervision,  the  need 
for  a  magazine  was  felt.  The  matter 
was  discussed,  but  there  were  diffi- 
culties in  the  way.  There  were  no 
funds. 

Later  the  matter  was  referred  to 
the  First  Presidency,  who  replied 
on  April  28,  1896: 

"The  First  Presidency  considered 
the  subject  matter  of  your  late 
communication  in  which  you  desire 
their  mind  in  regard  to  starting  a 
paper  in  the  interest  of  the  Primary 
Associations.  Presidents  Woodruff 
and  Smith  (President  Cannon  ab- 
sent in  the  east)  are  clearly  of  the 
opinion  that  such  a  venture  could 
not  be  made  to  pay  financially  for 
the  reason  that  papers  of  years' 
standing  in  our  community  are  to- 


day on  the  verge  of  failure,  and  in 
fact  the  Church  is  being  appealed 
to  to  come  to  their  assistance.  In 
the  light  of  these  facts,  and  the  in- 
ability of  the  Church  to  render  any 
assistance  whatever  in  such  a  direc- 
tion, they  could  not  consent  to  an 
attempt  on  your  part  to  put  a  new 
periodical  in  the  field. 

"The  Presidency  send  you  their 
kind  regards,  and  hope  that  you 
will  be  able  to  continue  your  labors 
without  the  assistance  of  a  paper, 
for  the  present  at  least." 

But  the  Primary  women  were  per- 
sistent, and  in  1901  they  decided  to 
try  again.  This  time  consent  was 
given,  and  the  new  magazine  was 
started. 

Although  there  still  were  no 
funds  and  the  printer  was  dubious, 
the  women  rolled  up  their  sleeves 
and  went  to  work.  The  first  edition 
appeared  in  January  1902.  Sub- 
scriptions were  sold  at  a  rate  of  one 
dollar  a  year.  By  January  29,  1902, 
868  subscriptions  had  been  sold, 
and  the  magazine  was  safely 
launched. 

Olive  Derbidge  ( Christensen )  is 
given  credit  for  naming  the  maga- 
zine, but  she  said  it  named  itself. 


Mary  R.  Jack  began  working  on  the  Children's  Friend  in  1913  and  has  since 
served  as  associate  editor  and  as  managing  editor.  Since  1940  she  has  also 
been  secretary  to  the  Tabernacle  Choir. 


In  a  Primary  general  board  meeting 
where  a  name  was  being  discussed, 
it  was  decided  that  Primary  Friend 
would  be  a  good  name.  Miss  Der- 
bidge, then  assistant  secretary,  was 
appointed  to  write  up  the  notices. 
When  she  had  completed  her  task 
and  was  showing  the  papers  to  the 
other  members  of  the  board,  it  was 
found  that  she  had  unconsciously 
written  Children's  Friend.  Every- 
one thought  this  was  a  better  name, 
so  the  Children's  Friend  it  became. 

Miss  May  Anderson,  a  convert  to 
the  Church  from  England,  a  trained 
kindergarten  teacher,  and  general 
secretary  of  the  Primary  board,  be- 
came its  first  editor.  (Although  she 
was  initially  appointed  for  a  six- 
month  term,  she  was  to  serve  for 
38  years! ) 

In  the  office  in  the  Templeton 
Building,  she  and  Louie  B.  Felt- 
general  Primary  president,  ad- 
dressed the  magazines  by  hand, 
wrapped  and  tied  them  with  mate- 
rials brought  from  home,  and 
personally  delivered  them  to  the 
post  office.  The  Children's  Friend 
in  the  beginning  was  one-half  its 
present  page  size. 

The  opening  feature  in  that  first 
issue  was  a  poem  by  L.  Lula  Greene 
Richards,  "Our  Work  and  Our 
Wealth,"  which  was  written  during 
the  meeting  of  the  board  when  the 


Sixty-nine  Years  of  the  Children's  Friend 


By  Mary  R.  Jack 


THE  CHILDREN'S 
FRIEND. 


"-  "  i»    <••'  •  NUtMIHUi 


First  edition  of 

the  Children's  Friend, 

published  January  1 902 


May  Anderson,  first  editor  of  the 
Children's     Friend     (1902-1939) 


LaVern  W.  Parmley,  last  editor  of 
the  Children's  Friend  (1 951  -1 970) 


10 


new  magazine  was  being  discussed. 

The  second  feature  was  a  greet- 
ing signed  by  Sister  Felt: 

"Beloved  Sisters:— With  feelings 
of  intense  joy,  deep  devotion  and 
profound  gratitude  we  introduce 
this  little  book.  Hope  and  fear 
alternately  plead  for  supremacy 
and  we  humbly  ask  that  you  will 
exercise  charity  and  assist  us  by 
your  faith  and  prayers. 

"If  in  any  way  our  little  book  will 
help  the  young  to  learn  that  'Wis- 
dom's ways  are  pleasant  ways  and 
all  its  paths  are  peace,'  our  reward 
will  be  ample." 

Although  the  magazine  contained 
lessons  for  the  Primary  classes,  the 
lessons  had  many  supplementary 
stories  and  memory  gems  that  the 
boys  and  girls  read  and  reread. 
Thus  the  magazine  from  that  very 
first  issue  became  their  magazine. 
Subscriptions  increased,  and  by  the 
end  of  February  the  list  of  sub- 
scribers had  grown  to  1,248. 

As  time  went  on,  stories,  serials, 
verse,  crafts,  pictures,  and  other 
features  were  added,  and  the  les- 
sons were  published  in  bulletins 
for  the  teachers. 

In  1924,  the  page  of  the  magazine 
was  enlarged  to  its  present  size. 
The  enlarged  magazine  carried  a 
continuing  series  of  two-color  cov- 
ers by  C.  Nelson  White,  a  convert 


to  the  Church  from  Denmark.  He 
also  contributed  the  first  illustra- 
tions and  the  first  picture  story 
series,  "Zippo-Zip  and  His  Friends." 

With  the  reorganization  of  the 
Primary  Association  in  January 
1940,  May  Green  Hinckley  became 
president  and  editor  (1940-1943). 
She  was  followed  by  Adele  Cannon 
Howells  (1943-1951)  and  LaVern 
W.  Parmley  (1951-1970). 

Outstanding  features  in  the  mag- 
azine during  May  Green  Hinckley's 
term  included  Church  history  arti- 
cles, articles  from  Church  leaders, 
cut-out  and  color  pages,  excerpts 
from  pioneer  diaries,  children's 
hobbies,  and  series  on  manners, 
music,  foods,  and  children's  art. 
The  November  1940  number  carried 
the  magazine's  first  birthday  greet- 
ing to  a  President  of  the  Church, 
Heber  J.  Grant,  which  practice  has 
been  followed  every  year  since. 
The  magazine  also  added  a  depart- 
ment of  lessons  for  mission  Pri- 
maries. One  particularly  interesting 
cover  featured  the  picture  of  a 
child  from  each  stake  and  mission 
of  the  Church   (November  1940). 

Adele  Cannon  Howells  added  to 
the  magazine  a  department  of  pen 
pals  and  one  of  children's  contribu- 
tions. An  outstanding  feature  for 
the  Utah  pioneer  centennial  year  in 
1947    was    covers    featuring    chil- 


dren in  pioneer  settings.  The  entire 
year  carried  features  commemora- 
tive of  this  important  anniversary. 

Editor  Howells  planned  and 
sponsored  a  series  of  Book  of  Mor- 
mon paintings  by  a  noted  artist, 
Arnold  Friberg,  for  the  fiftieth  an- 
niversary of  the  Children's  Friend. 
In  a  way,  these  brought  interna- 
tional renown  to  Mr.  Friberg,  for 
copies  of  the  magazine  prompted  a 
representative  of  Cecil  B.  de  Mille 
to  ask  for  loan  of  the  artist  for 
The  Ten  Commandments. 

Also  honoring  the  fiftieth  anni- 
versary of  the  magazine,  two  Chil- 
dren's Friend  story  books,  one  for 
younger  and  one  for  older  children, 
were  published. 

A  radio  series,  "Children's  Friend 
of  the  Air,"  was  carried  on  a  local 
radio  station  for  several  years,  with 
dramatized  stories  from  the  maga- 
zine. The  program  later  moved  to 
television,  where  a  series  on  kind- 
ness to  animals,  an  outgrowth  of  the 
Children's  Friend  Kindness  to  Ani- 
mals Club,  was  featured. 

Several  awards  earned  by  the 
Children's  Friend  were  presented 
to  LaVern  W.  Parmley,  who  fol- 
lowed Adele  Cannon  Howells  as 
editor.  The  National  Offset-Lithog- 
raphy Competition  gave  the  maga- 
zine its  first  award  in  1953,  for  the 
Book    of    Mormon    paintings    by 


A.  Two-color  cover  by  C.  Nelson  White,  March   1926 

B.  December  1941  cover,  featuring  sculpture  by  Avard  Fairbanks 

C.  Wrap-around   cover  for  first    International   Issue   of   the   Children's    Friend, 
October  1966,  designed  and  painted  by  Dorothy  Wagstaff 

D.  First  of  photographic  series  of  children  in  pioneer  settings,   January   1947 

E.  November  1970  Children's  Friend  in  four-color  by  Neva  Schultz 


Era,  December  1970    11 


Arnold  Friberg,  and  its  second 
award  in  1954.  Three  awards  were 
received  from  the  National  Safety- 
Council  for  "exceptional  service  to 
safety."  There  was  also  an  award 
from  the  National  Association  for 
Press  Women;  one  from  the  Simp- 
son Gallery  of  Fine  Printing  and 
Lithography;  and  the  Mead  Award, 
in  national  competition  for  out- 
standing printing. 


...  69  years 
of  a 
labor  of  love" 


An  effort  to  modernize  the  Chil- 
dren's Friend  and  give  it  a  new 
look  was  made  in  1961.  Many 
children  and  their  parents  were 
pleased  with  what  was  termed  its 
"ultra-modern  look,"  but  the  vote 
opposing  it  was  three  to  one.  After 
six  months,  the  magazine  continued 
to  be  modern  but  not  "ultra." 

The  first  color  in  the  magazine 
appeared  in  1933.  This  was  very 
primitive  compared  to  the  lovely 
four-  and  five-color  art  introduced 
later  during  the  editorship  of  La- 
Vern  W.  Parmley. 

With  a  beautiful  magazine  that 
was  selling  for  two  dollars  and 
fifty  cents  a  year,  it  was  felt  that 
more  children  should  be  reached. 
Under  the  direction  of  Editor 
Parmley,  and  with  Leone  W.  Doxey 
as  circulation  manager,  the  "Friend 
on  a  Mission"  campaign  was  in- 
augurated, giving  children  an  op- 
portunity to  follow  the  admonition 
of  President  David  O.  McKay, 
"every  member  a  missionary."  Chil- 
dren earned  and  contributed  their 
pennies;  ward  and  stake  Primary  or- 
ganizations prepared  programs  and 
dinners;  and  funds  were  raised  to 


send  the  magazine  to  missions  and 
missionaries  everywhere. 

The  following  from  a  stake  Pri- 
mary president  is  typical  of  the 
response : 

"I  am  writing  concerning  the 
'Friend  on  a  Mission.'  My  wards 
are  anxious  to  get  started;  we  had 
such  good  results  last  year.  .  .  . 
Some  of  the  wards  are  planning  a 
special  banquet  for  the  Primary 
children  and  their  friends  to  be 
held  in  the  afternoon.  .  .  .  They 
really  like  this  'Friend  on  a  Mis- 
sion. 

A  lady  missionary  wrote  that  she 
and  her  companion  had  knocked  on 
the  door  of  a  home  but  were  not 
admitted  by  the  mother.  Since 
there  were  children  in  the  home, 
the  next  day  the  missionaries  re- 
turned with  copies  of  the  Children's 
Friend  and  asked  the  mother  if  the 
children  might  look  at  them.  She 
smiled  and  said  yes.  Before  long 
the  parents  and  children  were 
baptized. 

From  Australia  a  missionary 
wrote:  "Fredia  is  a  nine-year-old 
girl.  Fredia  and  her  mother  have 
set  a  date  for  baptism.  They  first 
started  investigating  the  Church 
when  a  missionary  brought  the 
Children's  Friend  to  their  home. 
Their  conversion  began  with  the 
reading  of  the  magazine." 

The  Children's  Friend  has  been 
the  "voice  of  the  Church  to  chil- 
dren." Its  editors  and  editorial 
boards  have  endeavored  to  supply 
the  children  of  the  Church  and 
children  everywhere  with  materials 
that  inspire  testimony,  faith,  rever- 
ence, obedience,  service,  and  other 
virtues  in  keeping  with  the  restored 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  oc- 
cupy their  leisure  time  in  a  whole- 
some way. 

Under  the  present  able  direction 
of  Editor  LaVern  W.  Parmley,  her 
associate  editors  and  editorial 
board,  and  with  the  production 
skill  of  Gladys  Daines,  managing 


editor,  the  magazine  has  reached 
an  all-time  high,  with  a  circula- 
tion of  nearly  170,000. 

The  following,  selected  from 
many  such  testimonials,  will  attest 
to  the  popularity  and  editorial  qual- 
ity of  the  Children's  Friend: 

"Please  convey  to  the  Children's 
Friend  staff  my  sincere  congratula- 
tions on  their  splendid  work.  The 
format,  illustrations,  stories,  and 
features  are  outstanding.  Chil- 
dren's Friend  ranks  with  the  best 
of  children's  magazines.  It  is  an 
asset  to  any  home— Mormon  or  non- 
Mormon." 

"Thanks  so  much  for  sending  me 
a  sample  copy  of  your  magazine.  I 
have  ordered  several  samples  of 
magazines  and  to  me  yours  is  tops! 
I'm  sure  children  enjoy  it." 

"May  I  say  how  much  our  twins 
and  my  husband  and  I  enjoy  your 
little  booklet.  It  is  both  educational 
and  amusing.  We  all  love  it,  and 
we  happen  to  be  Catholics!" 

"I  take  and  enjoy  reading  the 
Children's  Friend  even  if  I  am 
getting  old.  I  especially  like  to  have 
it  in  the  home  for  my  grandchildren 
or  neighbor  children." 

"I  consider  the  Children's  Friend 
to  be  the  best  publication  in  its  field 
—bar  none." 

"I  just  started  to  Primary  and  I 
am  in  the  Sunbeam  class.  I  didn't 
like  to  go  to  class  by  myself,  but 
Mommie  said  if  I  was  good  and 
brave  I  could  have  the  Children's 
Friend  come  to  me  just  like  my  big 
sister.  Will  you  send  it  to  me, 
please?  (I  have  been  good  and 
brave  for  4  weeks.)" 

"I  like  your  books  very  much.  I 
hope  my  mother  will  sign  up  again. 
Your  stories  are  very  good.  I  like 
the  things  to  do.  I  have  learned  a 
lot  of  things  out  of  your  books.  My 
brother  likes  them,  too!" 

So  end  the  69  years  of  the  Chil- 
dren's Friend— 69  years  of  joy,  help, 
achievement  ...  69  years  of  a  labor 
of  love.  O 


12 


Thorpe  B.  Isaacson 
1898-1970 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  1961-1965,^970 

Counselor  to  the  First  Presidency,  1965-1970 

First  Counselor  in  the  Presiding  Bishopric,  1952-1961 


•  Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson  counseled  his  sons:  "If 
there  is  any  work  that  has  to  be  left  undone,  it  must 
not  be  the  work  of  the  Church."  This  remark  char- 
acterized his  devotion  to  the  Church,  expressed  in 
tremendous  spiritual  and  physical  energy.  For  Elder 
Isaacson,  the  principles  of  the  gospel  were  the  sources 
from  which  he  directed  his  great  enthusiasm  in  many 
fields  of  endeavor-in  athletics,  education,  business, 
civic  affairs,  and  the  work  of    the  Lord. 

Elder  Isaacson  was  born  September  6,  1898,  in 
Ephraim,  a  little  farming  cbmmunity  in  central  Utah. 
His  grandparents  accepted  the  gospel  in  Europe,  and 
it  was  instilled  in  him  by  his  pioneer  parents,  Martin 
and  Mary  Beal  Isaacson. 

An  outstanding  athlete  in  his  youth,  he  attended 
Snow  Academy  (now  Snow  College)  at  Ephraim, 
Brigham  Young  University,  Utah  Agricultural  College 
(now  Utah  State  University),  and  the  University  of 
California  at  Berkeley. 

While  teaching  in  Box  Elder  County,  he  met  Lula 
Maughan  Jones,  and  they  were  married  in  the  Salt 
Lake  Temple  June  16,  1920.  Following  their  marriage 
he  worked  as  a  teacher,  coach,  principal,  and  a  faculty 
member  at  various  schools  in  Utah  and  Idaho.  He 
later  became  a  successful  life  insurance  executive,  and 
one  year  was  selected  as  the  most  outstanding  life 
insurance  man  in  America. 

Elder  Isaacson's  civic  and  church  service  was 
greatly  diversified.  He  was  chairman  of  the  Church's 
historical  sites  committee,  vice-president  of  the  board 
of  trustees  of  Brigham  Young  University,  vice-president 
of  the  Church  Board  of  Education,  president  of  the 
board  of  trustees  of  Utah  State  University,  and  a 
member  of  the  University  of  Utah  board  of  regents. 

Serving  in  government  appointments,  Elder  Isaac- 
son was  a  special  consultant  to  the  U.S.  Commissioner 
of  Education,  consultant  in  U.S.  foreign  aid  adminis- 
tration, and  a  member  of  Utah's  Little  Hoover  Com- 
mission. He  also  served  on  several  business  and  civic 
boards  of  directors. 


Elder  Isaacson  was  sustained  as  second  counselor 
in  the  Presiding  Bishopric  December  12,  1946;  as 
first  counselor  to  the  Presiding  Bishop  April  6,  1952; 
as  Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  September 
30,  1961;  and  set  apart  and  sustained  as  counselor  in 
the  First  Presidency  to  President  David  O.  McKay, 
October  28,  1965.  He  was  released  from  that  position 
when  President  McKay  died  in  January  of  this  year. 

President  McKay  headed  the  list  of  distinguished 
speakers  at  a  public  program  honoring  Elder  Isaacson 
at  the  Snow  College  auditorium  in  1955. 

"As  I  see  it,"  said  President  McKay,  "Bishop  Isaac- 
son's outstanding  success  in  so  many  fields  springs 
from  three  principal  sources.  First  is  his  strength  of 
character  and  integrity  inherited  from  his  forebears. 
Second  would  be  his  environment-his  early  life  spent 
in  this  country.  And  third  would  be  what  he  has 
made  of  himself,  his  own  industry  and  effort." 

As  a  General  Authority,  Elder  Isaacson  traveled  into 
many  parts  of  the  Church,  where  his  friendly  spirit 
and  enthusiasm  were  well  received.  His  special  atten- 
tion to  the  program  for  adult  members  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  stimulated  efforts  in  this  area  on  a  Church- 
wide  scale. 

Elder  Isaacson  died  on  November  9,  1970.  Funeral 
services  were  held  two  days  later  in  the  Assembly  Hall 
on  Temple  Square. 

For  Elder  Isaacson,  death  came  as  a  blessing  at  this 
time,  releasing  him  from  the  inactivity  that  ill  health 
had  forced  upon  him  in  recent  years.  But  even  in  his 
illness  he  maintained  a  keen  interest  in  the  affairs  of 
the  Church. 

Survivors  include  Sister  Isaacson;  a  daughter,  Mrs. 
Royal  (Joyce)  Tribe;  a  son,  Richard  A.  Isaacson; 
nine  grandchildren,  four  brothers,  and  one  sister. 

Elder  Isaacson's  great  enthusiasm  for  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ  will  be  missed  in  contemporary  Church 
affairs.  "If  there  is  any  work  that  has  to  be  left  undone, 
it  must  not  be  the  work  of  the  Church"  may  well  be 
good  counsel  for  all  of  us.  O 


Era,  December  1970    13 


Emma  Ray  Riggs  McKay 

1877-1970      J 

•  Mrs.  Emma  Ray  Riggs  McKay,  93,  widow  of  Presi- 
dent David  O.  McKay,  passed  away  Saturday,  Novem- 
ber 14, 1970,  at  her  Hotel  Utah  apartment  in  Salt  Lake 
City.  President  McKay  died  January  18,  shortly  after 
the  couple  celebrated  their  sixty-ninth  wedding 
anniversary. 

Little  is  publicly  known  about  this  remarkable 
woman  who  long  stood  by  the  President's  side  as  his 
"sweetheart-wife,"  as  he  called  her.  She  was  born  in 
Salt  Lake  City  June  23,  1877,  a  daughter  of  O.  H.  and 
Emma  Robbins  Riggs. 

She  met  David  O.  McKay,  a  young  man  who 
planned  to  be  a  schoolteacher,  when  he  came  to  Salt 
Lake  City  from  Huntsville  to  enroll  at  the  University 
of  Utah  and  rented  a  room  at  the  Riggs  home,  which 
was  near  the  university.  Their  courtship  blossomed 
while  they  were  at  the  university,  but  after  David's 
graduation  in  1897,  their  plans  for  marriage  were 
postponed  when  he  received  a  call  to  serve  as  a  mis- 
sionary in  Great  Rritain.  Meanwhile,  Emma  Ray 
completed  her  university  training,  graduating  in  1898. 
They  were  married  January  2,  1901. 

Emma  Ray  served  in  the  auxiliaries  of  the  ChurcJi 
in  Ogden,  raising  her  family  at  Ogden,  on  the  McKay 
farm  at  nearby  Huntsville,  and  later  in  Salt  Lake  City. 

After  her  husband  was  called  to  serve  as  a  member 
of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve  in  1906,  Sister  McKay 
was  often  left  at  home  to  care  for  their  seven  children 
(one  of  whom  died  in  infancy)  while  he  traveled  on 
assignments. 

President  McKay  once  said  to  their  children,  "All 
through  the  years  you  have  seen  how  perfectly  your 
mother  fills  the  picture.  I  want  to  acknowledge  to  you 
and  to  her,  how  greatly  her  loving  devotion,  inspira- 
tion, and  loyal  support  have  contributed  to  whatever 
success  may  be  ours." 

As  the  family  grew  older,  Sister  McKay  was  more 
and  more  at  her  husband's  side.  He  was  called  as 
second  counselor  in  the  First  Presidency  at  the  Octo- 
ber 1934  semiannual  general  conference  and  became 
President  of  the  Church  April  9,  1951.  In  the  years 
of  his  presidency  they  traveled  together  to  the  conti- 
nents of  the  earth  and  the  islands  of  the  sea. 

Sister  McKay  is  survived  by  four  sons,  David  Law- 
rence, Llewelyn  R.,  Edward  R.,  and  Robert  R.  McKay, 
all  of  Salt  Lake  City;  two  daughters,  Mrs.  Russell  H. 
(Lou  Jean)  Rlood,  Chicago,  and  Mrs.  Conway  A. 
(Emma  Rae)  Ashton,  Salt  Lake  City;  22  grandchildren 
and  25  great-grandchildren. 

Funeral  services  were  held  in  the  Assembly  Hall 
November  18,  under  the  direction  of  the  First 
Presidency.  O 


Geraldine  Hurst,  the  mother  of  five 
children,  is  Relief  Society  president 
of  the  Visalia  (California)  Stake  and 
an  elementary  school  teacher. 


•  The  first  one  came  early  in  De- 
cember. Buried  in  a  pile  of  colorful 
advertisements,  newsy  letters  from 
relatives,  and  Christmas  cards,  it 
was  a  plain  white  envelope  with 
no  return  address  and  had  been 
mailed  in  our  own  city.  Inside  the 
envelope  was  a  full  sheet  of  white 
typewriting  paper  with  only  two 
words  on  it:  "For  Mike."  Neatly 
folded  inside  was  a  bill  of  currency. 

We  received  the  money  with  a 
sort  of  wondering  awe.  Along  with 
many  others,  we  had  not  yet 
learned  how  to  receive  gracefully. 
It  had  been  our  pleasure  to  be  help- 
ful to  others  rather  than  to  need 
assistance  from  anyone  else.  The 
money  was  welcome,  however. 
Coming  as  it  did  in  a  month  when 
our  expenditures  had  been  extra 
high  in  order  to  provide  a  satisfying 
Christmas  for  the  four  children  still 
at  home,  it  was  very  welcome  in- 
deed. 

Mike  was  our  missionary  son. 
The  money  was  earmarked  for 
him,  and  receive  it  he  would.  A 
budget  still  straining  from  the  pur- 
chase of  everything  Mike  would 
need  for  two  years  could  certainly 
profit  from  any  aid.  Our  two 
younger  sons  had  already  pledged 
their  support,  and  they  faithfully 
paid  a  share  of  their  earnings  to- 
ward the  monthly  checks  that 
began  their  long  journey  from  our 
home  to  Argentina.  We  appreciated 
their  helpfulness,  but  young  news- 
boys need  to  save  for  their  own 
missions,  too.  So  we  limited  the 
amounts  of  their  contributions. 


14 


By  Geraldine  Hurst 


Anonymous  Miracl 


At  first  we  found  ourselves  won- 
dering who  the  generous  person 
might  be.  There  was  the  excitement 
of  a  mystery  about  the  white  enve- 
lope. We  all  felt  quite  helpless 
because  we  did  not  know  whom  to 
thank.  And  the  air  of  mystery 
heightened  as  each  month  a  similar 
anonymous  gift  arrived. 

The  father  of  our  home  soon  ad- 
vanced some  wise  advice.  He  has 
been  a  bishop  and  has  known  about 
such  things  happening  to  others. 
He  assured  us  that  the  donor  had 
good  reason  to  wish  to  remain 
anonymous.  We  could  feel  certain, 
too,  that  he  would  be  rewarded  by 
his  Father  in  heaven.  Although  we 
could  not  personally  thank  the 
donor,  there  were  many  ways  that 
we  could  show  our  gratitude. 

We  realized  first  of  all  that  this 
was  a  wonderful  tribute  to  our  fam- 
ily. As  parents  we  had  felt  that  we 
had  an  obligation  not  to  misuse 
material  gains  with  which  we  might 
be  blessed.  This  person  was  telling 
us  that  he  approved  of  our  manage- 
ment enough  to  want  to  add  to  that 
material  increase.  As  a  result,  we 
felt  that  we  must  be  even  more 
watchful  of  our  earthly  stewardship. 
We  felt  a  duty  to  him  in  addition 
to  ourselves  and  our  Heavenly 
Father. 

As  a  result  of  the  strange  monthly 
gift,  we  knew  that  someone  of  our 
circle  of  acquaintances  had  ex- 
pressed his  love  for  our  son  and  by 
so  doing  had  touched  our  hearts. 
The  gifts  had  even  more  far-reach- 
ing   effects.     Many    dear    people 


greeted  us  in  our  daily  pursuits,  at 
church,  home,  school,  and  work. 
We  found  that  now  we  met  each  of 
them  with  more  concern.  Our 
handshakes  were  a  little  firmer; 
our  smiles  were  warmer;  and  we 
took  no  one  for  granted.  One  of 
these  gentle  persons  had  awakened 
within  each  of  us  a  keen  sense  of 
appreciation  for  our  fellowmen. 

In  South  America  Michael  was 
most  grateful  for  the  support  that 
he  received.  His  every  letter  mani- 
fested it.  He  told  his  younger 
brothers  that  they  could  find  no 
better  place  for  their  money  than 
to  put  it  to  work  for  the  Lord.  He 
who  had  used  his  own  life  savings 
to  begin  his  mission  was  humbly 
grateful  that  we  were  sustaining 
him.  He  who  had  worked  hard  at 
gardening,  cleaning,  fruit  packing, 
and  many  other  jobs  knew  that 
money  came  by  the  sweat  of  the 
brow. 

And  because  he  appreciated  the 
efforts  made  by  many  to  accumu- 
late his  support,  he  became  a  better 
missionary. 

Thus  it  was  that  in  the  form  of  a 
simple  white  envelope  there  came 
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Name. 


Address. 
City 


.State. 


.Zip. 


Dec.  1970  Era 


■ iiaSSissi"  IssSti   JT         : 

:i'5i.   S(:;j 


"v  ■■■..  ■  ■.::  ::  :... 


By  Rodger 
A.  Pool 


"    !    !:■       ..  " 


Dr.  Rodger  A.  Pool,  YMMIA  superin- 
tendent in  the  Olympia  (Washing- 
ton) Ward,  is  a  first  lieutenant  in 
the  U.S.  Army  and  aide-de-camp  to 
the  commanding  general  at  Mad- 
igan  General  Hospital,  Tacoma. 


child.  One  psychologist  has  defined      nature  of  rewards,  but  also  upon 

this  by  stating  that  "the  reward  that      who  gives  them. 

is  most  gratifying  to  the   child  is 

that  of  love  from  the  adult.   When 

the  child  loves  the  adult,  he  will 

do  anything  to  please  him!"1 


•  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  has  always  em- 
phasized that  it  is  a  parental 
responsibility  to  teach  children.  Re- 
cently, in  the  face  of  increasing 
delinquency  and  unrest  among 
youth,  there  has  been  added  em- 
phasis on  this  dimension  of  parental 
concern.  Of  increasing  importance 
to  the  Latter-day  Saint  parent, 
therefore,  are  answers  to  the  ques- 
tion, How  do  children  learn? 

What  do  we  know  about  the  way 
a  child  learns?  From  psychologists 
we  have  the  following  observations: 


□  A  child  learns  best  when  he 
is  motivated  to  learn.  The  most 
basic  incentives  parents  can  supply 
are  acceptance  and  approval,  for 
the  motives  for  most  human  learn- 
ing reside  in  the  interpersonal  re- 
lationship    between     parent     and 


D  Learning  takes  place  best 
when  the  act  that  is  performed  is 
rewarded.  Rewards  may  be  tangi- 
ble or  intangible.  Surprisingly,  the 
most  effective  rewards  for  learning 
seem  to  be  based  upon  intangible 
relationships.  For  children,  the 
most  effective  rewards  for  learning 
are  parental  acceptance  and  ap- 
proval. 

The  question  of  who  gives  re- 
wards is  important.  A  reward  means 
more  if  it  comes  from  one  who  is 
well-liked  and  respected.  The  most 
successful  parents  seem  to  be  those 
whose  children  are  deeply  con- 
cerned about  whether  their  parents 
approve  of  them  or  not.  On  the 
other  hand,  parents  who  are  dis- 
agreeable and  cross  often  find  that 
the  rewards  they  offer  are  not 
sought  because  they  are  associated 
with  unpleasantness.  Thus  learn- 
ing   depends    not    only    upon    the 


□  What  about  the  influence  of 
punishment  on  learning?  The 
words  of  a  song  say,  "Accentuate 
the  positive  and  eliminate  the 
negative."  Hurlock  has  shown  that 
praise  is  three  to  four  times  superior 
to  reproof  as  an  incentive  for 
learning.2  Several  studies  have 
demonstrated  that  having  one's 
errors  pointed  out  is  less  effective 
for  learning  than  having  one's  cor- 
rect responses  acknowledged. 

It  should  be  noted  that  the  effect 
of  punishment  is  in  part  a  function 
of  the  attitude  of  the  punisher.  If 
the  punisher  is  motivated  by  anger 
and  hate,  the  child  will  probably 
respond  in  a  similar  manner.  But 
if  punishment  is  administered  in  a 
spirit  of  love,  motivated  by  the  feel- 
ing that  only  through  punishment 
can  a  child  be  taught  self-control, 
the  child  may  alter  his  behavior 
without  resentment. 

It  is  important  to  add  that  the 
alternative  to  punishment  is  not 
indifference  or  submission  to  the 
child.  Firmness  is  not  synonymous 
with    punishment.     By    definition, 


18 


punishment  hurts,  but  firmness 
need  not  hurt.  It  is  the  parent's 
obligation  to  lead,  direct,  influence, 
and  persuade  along  desirable  paths; 
and  the  effective  parent  is  one  who 
is  determined,  persistent,  and  as- 
sertive, if  need  be,  without  being 
domineering  or  authoritarian. 


that  those  around  him  will  have  to 
exhibit  the  desired  behavior.  Or  the 
child  may  need  to  be  helped  in 
forming  a  different  concept  of  him- 
self. It  is  only  through  the  oppor- 
tunity to  practice  new  ways  of 
behaving  that  change  in  behavior 
can  be  effected. 


□  Psychologists  generally  agree 
that  one  learns  best  what  he  experi- 
ences. While  many  parents  believe 
that  merely  to  teach  a  child  what 
is  right  is  sufficient  to  determine 
right  behavior,  evidence  seems  to 
indicate  that  knowing  what  is  right 
may  be  unrelated  to  doing  what 
is  right.  One  group  of  college 
students,  asked  to  express  their 
attitude  toward  cheating,  over- 
whelmingly disapproved  of  it.  But 
when  given  an  opportunity  to  cheat 
in  a  situation  in  which  they  graded 
their  own  papers  after  they  had 
been  secretly  graded,  three-fourths 
of  the  students  cheated  by  changing 
their  answers.  One  study  of  de- 
linquency made  some  years  ago 
indicated  that  many  delinquents 
had  more  religious  knowledge  than 
a  similar  group  of  nondelinquents. 

Telling  the  child  what  to  do  gen- 
erally results  in  a  behavioral  change 
only  with  children  who  have 
learned  to  do  as  they  are  told.  Un- 
fortunately this  method  often 
proves  ineffective  with  children 
whom  parents  want  to  influence 
most.  Such  a  child  can  usually  be 
helped  to  learn  new  and  approved 
behavior  if  he  is  placed  in  an  en- 
vironment where  he  will  have  a 
chance  to  practice  different  be- 
havior. This  may  mean  that  the 
environment  of  the  home  will  have 
to  be  changed.    It  may  mean  also 


D  The  facts  of  individual  differ- 
ences, as  every  parent  can  attest, 
must  be  considered  before  one  can 
determine  how  a  child  learns.  For 
parents  to  expect  all  their  children 
to  behave  in  the  same  way  is  to 
expect  that  which  never  has  been 
and  probably  never  will  be. 


□  Personality  development  is 
primarily  a  product  of  learning  and 
is  largely  formed  in  infantile  experi- 
ences, especially  in  the  interaction 
between  mother  and  child.  One 
psychologist  concludes  from  his 
studies  that  "barring  starvation,  dis- 
ease, or  actual  physical  injury,  no 
other  factor  is  capable  of  so  influ- 
encing the  child's  development  in 
every  field  as  its  relation  to  its 
mother."3  And  of  course,  the  rela- 
tionship between  father  and  child 
can  be  equally  significant.  Another 
psychologist  attempted  to  trace 
some  of  the  factors  that  may  have 
accounted  for  differences  in  the 
way  two-year-old  children  reacted 
to  being  taken  for  an  all-day 
visit  to   a   center  for  research  on 


child  health  and  development. 
Some  adjusted  well.  Others  were 
very  upset.  The  psychologist  fi- 
nally concluded  that  "a  child's  level 
of  adjustment  depends  little  upon 
the  extrinsic  features  of  the  day, 
and  little  even  upon  his  health.  It 
depends  much  more  upon  the 
wholesomeness  of  his  upbringing  in 
the  home,  and  the  security  and 
confidence  and  affection  given  him 
by  his  parents.  A  secure  and  whole- 
somely loved  child  goes  forth  to 
meet  new  experiences  in  a  spirit  of 
adventure  and  comes  out  trium- 
phant in  his  encounters  with  new 
places,  new  materials,  and  new 
friends,  young  and  old.  A  child 
that  is  oversheltered  and  under- 
loved  goes  forth  from  home  with 
misgivings  and  doubts,  and  gives 
an  impression  of  inadequacy  and 
immaturity  in  his  encounter  with 
new  experiences  that  make  him 
unwelcome  either  in  the  society  of 
adults  or  children."4 

"Every  moment  of  a  child's  life 
that  he  spends  in  contact  with  his 
parents  has  some  effect  on  both  his 
present  behavior  and  his  potentiali- 
ties for  future  action."5 

Thus  we  see  that  learning,  which 
begins  shortly  after  birth  and  con- 
tinues in  varying  degrees  through 
infancy,  childhood,  and  into  adult- 
hood, is  strongly  interconnected 
with  the  basic  patterns  of  person- 
ality that  are  formed  during  the 
first  five  or  six  years  of  life.  This 
knowledge  places  a  great  responsi- 
bility on  parents,  for  personality 
and  the  learning  process  are  largely 
formed  through  parent-child  rela- 
tionships. O 

FOOTNOTES 

1  G.  H.  J.  Pearson,  Psychoanalysis  and  the 
Education  of  the  Child  (New  York:  W.  W. 
Norton  and  Company,  1954),  pp.   148-50. 

2  E.  B.  Hurlock,  "An  Evaluation  of  Certain 
Incentives  Used  in  School  Work,"  Journal  of 
Educational  Psychology,  Vol.  16  (1925),  pp. 
145-59. 

3  R.  A.  Spitz,  "The  Role  of  the  Ecological 
Factors  in  Emotional  Development  in  Infancy," 
Child  Development,  Vol.  20  (1949),  pp.  145- 
55. 

4  M.  M.  Shirley,  "Children's  Adjustment  to  a 
Strange  Situation,"  Child  Development,  Vol.  37 
(1942),  pp.  201-217. 

5  R.  R.  Sears,  E.  E.  Maccoby,  and  Harry  Le- 
vin, Patterns  of  Child  Rearing  (Evanston,  Illi- 
nois: Row,  Peterson,   1957),  p.  466. 


Era,  December  1970    19 


r 


n  the  morning  of  her 
seventieth  birthday 
Amelia  Wallace  looked 
into  her  mirror  and  saw  an  old 
woman.  At  first  she  thought  it  was 
just  bad  lighting  that  made  her 
face  look  so  wrinkled  and  her  hair 
so  white.  But  when  she  hurried 
to  the  sunny  kitchen  to  reassure 
herself  by  a  peek  in  the  small  mir- 
ror by  the  back  door,  she  found  the 
same  somber-faced  elderly  person 
peering  back  at  her. 

"Seventy  years  old,"  she  whis- 
pered. "How  did  it  happen  so 
quickly?" 

She  was  still  standing  there,  star- 
ing numbly  at  her  reflection,  when 
her  husband,  Harvey,  burst  through 
the  back  door. 

"How  about  a  bite  of  breakfast?" 
he  said.  "Think  111  trot  over  to  the 
nursery  and  pick  up  a  few  more 
apple  trees  this  morning.  There  is 
room  for  three  or  perhaps  four  more 
along  the  fence." 

Harvey  and  his  apple  trees!  He 
just  couldn't  seem  to  accept  the 
fact  that  their  small  city  lot  could 
not  produce  the  volume  of  apples 
their  farm  with  its  big  orchards 
had. 

"Harvey,"  Amelia  said,  "it's  my 
seventieth  birthday." 

Harvey's  face  fell.  "Oh,  Amelia, 
I'm  sorry.  It  clean  slipped  my  mind. 
I  didn't  even  pick  up  a  box  of 
chocolates." 

Amelia  was  exasperated.  "Harvey, 
I  don't  care  about  the  chocolates. 
Don't  you  understand?  I'm  seventy 
years  old  today.  Seventy  years 
old." 

Harvey  blinked,  uncomprehend- 
ing. "Well,"  he  said,  "seventy  usual- 
ly comes  after  sixty-nine,  doesn't 
it?" 

"Harvey,"  Amelia  said  softly, 
"I'm  old." 

Hajvey  came  close  to  her  and 
looked  into  her  face.  "You  don't 
look  old  to  me,"  he  said.  His  blue 
eyes  twinkled.   "I'd  say  you're  still 


good  for  twenty-five,  maybe  thirty 
years." 

Any  other  time  she  would  have 
laughed  and  patted  his  hand  or 
kissed  him  on  his  remarkably 
smooth  cheek.  Now,  however,  she 
merely  turned  away,  saying,  "I'll 
cook  your  eggs." 

While  she  prepared  the  food, 
Harvey  briskly  washed  his  hands 
and  set  the  table  for  the  two  of 
them,  all  the  while  talking  about 
his  plans  for  more  apple  trees. 

"You  know  Bill  at  the  produce 
department  of  Cullen's  store?"  he 
asked.  "He  told  me  he'd  buy  all 
the  apples  I  can  supply.  Says  mine 
are  the  best  apples  around.  Cus- 
tomers ask  for  them."  A  note  of 
pride  crept  into  his  voice.  "I  figure 
if  I  put  in  a  few  more  trees,  in  a 
few  years  I'll  be  producing  enough 
to  do  some  special  packaging." 

Amelia  barely  listened  to  his 
chatter.  How  could  he  think  in 
terms  of  four  or  five  more  years? 
Didn't  he  realize  that  he  was  now 
seventy-five  years  old,  and  by  that 
time  he  would  be  nearly  eighty? 

Amelia  hardly  spoke  during 
breakfast,  but  Harvey  had  plenty 
to  say.  Amelia  was  glad  when  he 
finally  left  for  the  nursery,  saying 
as  he  went,  "I  think  I'll  pick  up 
half  a  dozen  new  rose  bushes  for 
your  garden.  That's  a  better  birth- 
day present  than  chocolates.  You 
can  enjoy  the  roses  for  years." 

She  watched  him  as  he  strolled 
whistling  down  the  path  toward  the 
battered  pick-up  truck.  He  had 
insisted  on  keeping  the  truck  when 
they  sold  the  farm.  His  step  was 
spry  and  his  lanky  body  was  still 
wiry  and  straight,  a  denial  of  the 
rheumatism  she  knew  occasionally 
afflicted  him.  He  was  old  too,  but 
she  wondered  if  he  ever  thought 
about  it. 

I  just  can't  stand  all  that  cheer- 


fulness today,  Amelia  thought  to 
herself.  /  think  Til  go  see  Dora. 
Dora  could  be  counted  on  to  com- 
miserate with  her.  Dora  always 
kept  her  voluminous  photograph 
album  handy,  which  made  it  easy 
to  remember  when  they  were  young 
and  pretty. 

Dora  was  glad  to  see  her.  "I 
was  just  thinking  about  you, 
Amelia,"  she  said,  leading  her  vis- 
itor into  the  darkened  living  room. 
Usually  it  annoyed  Amelia  that 
Dora  kept  her  blinds  down  all  the 
time,  but  today  it  fitted  her  mood. 

"I  just  read  in  the  paper  from 
home  that  Arthur  Bronson  came 
back  for  a  visit,"  Dora  continued, 
"and  I  was  remembering  when  he 
was  our  high  school  English  teacher 
and  all  of  us  girls  had  such  a  crush 
on  him.  It  says  in  the  paper  that 
that  was  his  first  teaching  assign- 
ment, so  I  guess  he  just  came  back 
to  see  where  he  got  his  start." 

"Oh,  I  remember  him  well," 
Amelia  said,  smiling.  "We  learned 
so  much  English  that  year  because 
we  wanted  to  please  him.  He  was 
so  handsome." 

Dora  dug  into  a  pile  of  news- 
papers and  pulled  one  out.  "Look 
at  him  now,"  she  said. 

The  picture  Amelia  looked  at  was 
of  an  old  man,  bent  and  gray, 
whose  only  claim  to  good  looks 
was  his  still  brilliant  dark  eyes. 
Amelia  was  depressed. 

"He's  changed  some,  hasn't  he?" 
she  said. 

Dora  nodded  gloomily.  "I  could 
have  cried  when  I  saw  his  picture. 
I  like  to  remember  him  as  young 
and  romantic  as  he  was  when  all 
the  girls  in  our  class  thought  they 
were  in  love  with  him.  Wait  just 
a  minute.  I'll  find  our  graduation 
picture.  He  was  in  that,  since  he 
was  our  class  adviser." 

Dora  flipped  the  pages  of  her 


I 


Lael  J.  Littke,  a  Sunday  School  teacher  in  the  East  Pasadena  (California) 
Ward,  is  a  housewife  and  mother  whose  stories  have  recently  appeared  in 
Ladies'  Home  Journal  and  other  national  magazines. 


20 


Matter  of  Pi 
Direction 


Fiction 


By  Lael  J.  Littke 


□dan 

D  D 


photograph  album  until  she  came 
to  the  picture  she  wanted  of  the 
twenty-three-member  senior  class 
of  Melton  High  School.  "Look  at 
all  of  us.  We  were  all  so  young." 

Amelia  looked  closely  at  the 
handsome  face  of  the  young  teacher 
and  then  at  the  other  young  faces, 
some  smiling,  some  sober.  Her  own 
was  dreamy,  a  faraway  look  in  her 
eyes  and  a  small  smile  on  her  lips. 
She  tried,  for  a  moment,  to  recap- 
ture the  thoughts  of  that  eighteen- 
year-old  girl  of  more  than  fifty  years 
before,  but  the  girl  was  like  a  dif- 
ferent person,  and  the  seventy-year- 
old  woman  she  had  become  could 
not  remember.  She  had  probably 
been  building  air  castles  around 
her  handsome  young  teacher, 
Amelia  thought,  feeling  slightly 
superior  to  the  silly  young  girl  she 
had  been. 

Her  eyes  searched  the  group  of 
faces  for  Dora's  and  she  found  her 
standing  next  to  Bill  Knowlton, 
who  was  to  become  her  husband 
in  a  few  years.  Dora's  and  Bill's 
faces  were  solemn. 

"Can  you  remember  what  you 
were  thinking  that  day?"  Amelia 
asked  suddenly. 

Dora,  bent  over  the  album, 
nodded.  "Bill  and  I  had  been  talk- 
ing about  how  the  best  days  of  our 
lives  were  over  now  that  we  were 
graduating  from  high  school." 

Amelia  laughed  a  little.  "Funny 
that  you  should  think  that  when 
there  was  so  much  to  come." 

Dora  nodded.  "But  it's  all  over 
now."  She  dug  a  handkerchief 
from  her  apron  pocket  and  wiped 
her  eyes.  Dora  would  always  find 
something  to  cry  about.  "Oh, 
Amelia,  I  wish  we  could  go  back 
to  the  time  when  our  children  were 
young.  Or  when  they  were  grow- 
ing up  and  doing  so  many  things. 
Those  were  the  best  times,  weren't 
they?" 

Amelia  thought  back  over  her 
vast  expanse  of  years.   It  would  be 


Era,  December  1970    21 


hard  to  pick  the  best  time.  "There 
were  good  times  all  along  the  way," 
tt  ,4»vshe  said.  "Even  when  there  was 
too  much  work  and  too  little 
money."  Yes,  even  those  had  been 
good  years.  It  was  fun  to  remem- 
ber them,  but  Amelia  was  not  at 
all  sure  she  would  care  to  go  back 
and  relive  them.  When  they  were 
going  through  them  they  had  al- 
ways been  thinking  ahead  to  when 
life  would  be  better  and  easier,  so 
what  would  be  the  purpose  in  going 
back? 

"Dora,"  she  said,  "did  you  know 
it's  my  seventieth  birthday  today?" 

"Oh,  no,"  Dora  said,  as  if  some- 
one had  just  told  her  the  roof  had 
fallen  in.  "That  means  I'll  be  sev- 
enty next  month."  She  shook  her 
head  and  then  echoed  Amelia's  own 
earlier  thoughts.  "Oh,  Amelia,  how 
did  we  get  there  so  fast?  Seems 
like  just  yesterday  that  we  gradu- 
ated from  high  school."  She 
hunched  over  the  photograph  al- 
bum again.  "Look  at  us  all  there. 
Thinking  we  would  do  something 
great  in  the  world."  She  sighed. 
"Guess  none  of  us  ever  amounted 
to  much.   And  now  it's  too  late." 

Amelia  straightened.  "Dora,  how 
can  you  say  we  never  amounted  to 
much?  Maybe  none  of  us  ever  got 
our  names  on  the  front  pages  of  the 
newspapers,  but  we've  lived  good 
lives,  raised  good  families.  And 
look  at  what  our  children  are  doing 
—your  Bill,  Jr.,  making  a  name  for 
himself,  and  my  David,  and  all  the 
others  doing  so  well.  I  like  to  take 
a  little  credit  for  starting  them  out 
on  the  paths  they  took,  even  if  all 
I  did  was  fill  them  full  of  love  and 
homemade  bread.  Then  look  at 
Arthur  Bronson  and  all  the  lives  he 
influenced  in  the  years  he  taught." 
And  as  far  as  its  being  too  late, 
Amelia  thought,  Harvey  was  still 
working  away  at  his  orchard  and 
gaining  a  little  modest  fame  as  a 
producer  of  fine  apples. 

Thinking    of    Harvey,    she    sud- 


denly wanted  to  go  home.  "I  guess 
I'd  better  go  along,  Dora,"  she  said. 
"Harvey  will  be  home  soon,  and 
he'll  wonder  where  I  am." 

Dora  walked  with  her  to  the  lawn 
gate.  "Bill  will  be  sorry  he  missed 
you,"  she  said.  "He  gets  so  lonely. 
He  went  out  for  a  walk  this  morn- 
ing. Just  can't  seem  to  find  anything 
to  do.  Just  sits  around  wishing  he 
could  work  like  he  used  to."  She 
waved  as  Amelia  started  down  the 
street.    "Come  again  soon." 

Amelia  arrived  home  ahead  of 
Harvey.  She  could  hardly  wait  to 
hear  his  cheery  whistle.  What  was 
it  about  him  that  seemed  so  young 
when  Dora  and  Bill— and  even  she 
—seemed  so  old?  Was  it  just  his 
cheerfulness?  Why  was  he  so 
cheerful? 

When  she  heard  the  chug  of  his 
pick-up  truck,  she  went  out  to  greet 
him. 

"Got  you  some  roses  you'll  really 
like,"  Harvey  called  as  the  truck 
came  to  a  shuddering  stop.  "Climb- 
ing ones."  He  opened  the  squeaky 
door  and  got  out.  "Remember, 
Amelia,  how  you  always  wanted  a 
rose  bower?  Well,  I'm  going  to 
build  a  frame  there  in  the  south- 


east corner  and  plant  the  climbers 
all  around  it.  In  a  couple  of  years 
you'll  be  able  to  sit  in  there  all  sur- 
rounded by  roses." 

There  he  went  again,  thinking  in 
terms  of  the  future  years. 

"That  will  be  nice,  Harvey."  She 
watched  him  lifting  rose  bushes 
and  apple  striplings  from  the  back 
of  the  truck.  "Harvey,  do  you  ever 
think  about  when  we  were  young? 
All  the  things  we  were  going  to  do 
then?" 

"Not  very  often,"  he  said,  grab- 
bing his  wheelbarrow  and  loading 
it  full  of  plants.  "Too  busy  thinking 
about  all  the  things  I'm  going  to  do 
now."  Gripping  the  handles  of  the 
wheelbarrow,  Harvey  pushed  it  off 
toward  his  small  orchard. 

There  it  was.  That  was  the  dif- 
ference. Harvey  was  facing  for- 
ward, finding  things  to  do  now  and 
things  to  look  forward  to  doing, 
while  Dora  and  Bill  and  she,  this 
very  day,  looked  backward  to  the 
past,  to  the  things  already  done.  It 
was  the  thinking  ahead  that  had 
made  life  interesting  when  they 
were  young.  Maybe  a  big  part  of 
feeling  old  or  young  was  a  matter 
of  direction,  of  which  way  you 
faced. 

She  smiled  as  she  listened  to  Har- 
vey's whistling.  She  felt  like  whis- 
tling herself.  There  were  still  quite 
a  few  things  she  planned  to  do.  The 
first  of  them  was  to  plant  those  rose 
bushes  so  she  could  look  forward 
to  sitting  in  her  bower,  completely 
surrounded  by  roses. 

"So  what's  wrong  with  being 
seventy?"  Amelia  said  aloud.  Grasp- 
ing the  side-view  mirror  of  the 
truck,  she  adjusted  it  so  she  could 
look  at  the  reflection,  which  smiled 
back  at  her.  The  hair,  though 
white,  was  soft  and  shining  and  the 
eyes  twinkled  merrily  in  the  glow- 
ing face. 

Why,  I  don't  look  seventy  at  all, 
Amelia  thought.  Gracious  no.  I 
could  pass  for  sixty-five  any  day.  O 


22    Era,  December  1970 


Principles 

of 

Perfection 

by 

Hyrum  L.  Andrus 


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□  Principles  of  Perfection      □  The  Strength  of  Great  Possessions 

NAME 

ADDRESS 

CITY ; 

STATE ZIP 


12-70 


U 


u/rcn€S6:  m€  chrisc 


Mary  lifted  her  eyes  to  the  radiance  filling 
The  little  stable,  as  though  all  heaven  and  earth 
Were  glad  for  her  small  son,  the  stars  spilling 
Their  glory  to  announce  Messiah's  birth. 


S 


Thus  had  the  angel  Gabriel,  she  thought, 
So  thrilled  her  being  ivith  the  word  he  brought: 
"That  .  .  .  born  of  thee  shall  be  .,.  .  the  Son  of  God. 
Call  his  name  Jesus,  Mary.  Fear  not." 

Now  he  was  here,  her  firstborn.  With  great  love 
She  wrapped  him  in  soft  swaddling  clothes.  He  lay 
Warm  and  snug  in  the  manger.  And  lo,  above 
Their  restless  flocks  the  shepherds  heard  an  angel  say: 

".  .  .  unto  you  is  born  ...  a  Saviour  .  .  .  Christ  the  Lord/' 
And  a  multitude  of  the  heavenly  host  were  heard, 
Praising  God  in  song,  in  holy  hymn. 
The  shepherds  hurried  unto  Bethlehem. 

And  so  it  was  that  wise  men  from  afar 
Came,  bearing  gifts  of  frankincense  and  myrrh  and  gold. 
Long  had  they  journeyed,  following  the  star, 
Asking,  "And  where  is  he  . . .  born  King  of  the  Jews?" 

Behold,  they  too  were  led  to  quiet  Bethlehem 
And  found  the  Christ  and  knelt  and  worshiped  him. 
And  Mary  pondered  in  her  heart  all  these  things, 

And  sang  to  Jesus — Son  of  God,  Savior,  King  of  kings. 


A  DIRTY  EXHAUST  DOES  MORE 
THAN  DUTY  THE  AIR. 

It  can  waste  enough  jud 
to  run  a  second  engine. 


Conoco's  new 
super-cleaning  additive 
is  now  in  all  4  gasolines. 
They  help  keep  an  engine's 
breathing  system  (carburetor, 
valves,  PCV  control)  clean. 
Fuel  waste  is  reduced. 
Your  engine  breathes  easier 
...you  will,  too. 

What  does  a  dirty  exhaust  mean? 

That  your  engine  is  building  up 
deposits  that  can  throw  your  air- 
to-gasoline  mixture  out  of  whack. 
Your  engine's  dirty  so  it  takes  in 
more  gasoline  than  it  can  burn. 
This  unburned  fuel  goes  into  the 
air  as  dirty  exhaust. 

How  does  cleaner-air  additive  help? 

The  new  additive  is  a  super-cleaner 
that  helps  keep  carburetor,  valves, 
PCV  emission  control  clean ;  helps 
prevent  engine  deposit  buildup; 
helps  balance  air-to-fuel  mixture; 
reduces  unburned  fuel.  And  that 
means  a  cleaner  exhaust. 

Can  it  actually  improve  mileage? 

Yes.  These  new  Conoco  gasolines 
can  reduce  fuel  waste.  You  burn 
less  gasoline,  and  you  get  more 
miles,  more  ride  for  your  money. 

Will  Conoco  cost  more? 

Not  a  penny  more.  You  pay  the 
same  price  you've  always  paid  for 
Conoco  gasolines. 

Is  the  additive  in  all  4  gasolines? 

All  4  Conoco  gasolines :  Premium, 
Super,  Regular,  and  Conotane 
now  contain  cleaner-air  additives. 


(Look  at  this  remarkable  demonstration) 


few.  *< 


Enough  wasted  fuel  in  this  exhaust 
to  run  a  second  engine. 

The  engine  in  the  car  on  the  right  was  pur- 
posely adjusted.  It's  running  at  a  fast  idle.  The 
carburetor's  set  for  a  rich  fuel  mixture.  Its  ex- 
haust is  dirty  with  wasted  fuel.  So  much  wasted 
fuel  that  it  actually  runs  the  second  engine 
(left).  2750  rpm  (inset)  on  just  exhaust  alone, 
no  fuel  line.  That's  a  lot  of  mileage  going  up 
in  dirty  exhaust. 


New  Conoco 
gasolines  help  get  back 
some  mileage  wasted 
in  your  exhaust. 


Now,  more  than  ever 
...more  ride  for  your  money. 


CONOCO 


WW 


Hottest 

Brand 

Going. 


©1970  Continental  Oil  Company 


¥ 


Addresses  delivered  at 
the  140th  Semiannual 

General 
Conference 

of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
o) c  Latter '= day  Saints 


The  Oath  andCovenant  of  the 


•  My  dear  brethren  of  the  priesthood: 

I  welcome  this  opportunity  to  speak 
to  the  priesthood  holders  who  are 
gathered  in  many  places  throughout 
the  Church. 

I  desire  to  call  your  attention  to  the 
oath  and  covenant  of  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood.  I  think  if  we  have  a  clear 
understanding  of  the  covenant  we  make 
when  we  receive  offices  in  the  priest- 
hood, and  of  the  promise  the  Lord  gives 
if  we  magnify  our  callings,  then  we 
shall  have  a  greater  incentive  to  do 
all  the  things  we  must  do  to  gain 
eternal  life. 

May  I  say  further  that  everything 
connected  with  this  higher  priesthood  is 
designed  and  intended  to  prepare  us  to 
gain  eternal  life  in  the  kingdom  of 
God. 

In  the  revelation  on  priesthood,  given 
to  Joseph  Smith  in  September  1832,  the 
Lord  says  that  the  Melchizedek  Priest- 
hood is  everlasting;  that  it  administers 
the  gospel,  is  found  in  the  true  church 
in  all  generations,  and  holds  the  keys 
of  the  knowledge  of  God.  He  says  that 
it  enables  the  Lord's  people  to  be  sanc- 
tified, to  see  the  face  of  God,  and  to 
enter  into  the  rest  of  the  Lord,  "which 
rest  is  the  fulness  of  his  glory."  (See 
D&C  84:17-24.) 

Then,  speaking  of  both  the  Aaronic 
and  Melchizedek  priesthoods,  the  Lord 
says:  "For  whoso  is  faithful  unto  the 
obtaining  these  two  priesthoods  of 
which  I  have  spoken,  and  the  magnify- 


ing their  calling,  are  sanctified  by  the 
Spirit  unto  the  renewing  of  their  bodies. 

"They  become  the  sons  of  Moses  and 
of  Aaron  and  the  seed  of  Abraham, 
and  the  church  and  kingdom,  and  the 
elect  of  God. 

"And  also  all  they  who  receive  this 
priesthood  receive  me,  saith  the  Lord; 

"For  he  that  receiveth  my  servants 
receiveth  me; 

"And  he  that  receiveth  me  receiveth 
my  Father; 

"And  he  that  receiveth  my  Father  re- 
ceiveth my  Father's  kingdom;  therefore 
all  that  my  Father  hath  shall  be  given 
unto  him. 

"And  this  is  according  to  the  oath 
and  covenant  which  belongeth  to  the 
priesthood. 

"Therefore,  all  those  who  receive  the 
priesthood,  receive  this  oath  and  cove- 
nant of  my  Father,  which  he  cannot 
break,  neither  can  it  be  moved." 

The  penalty  for  breaking  the  cove- 
nant and  altogether  turning  therefrom 
is  then  given,  together  with  this  com- 
mandment: ".  .  .  beware  concerning 
yourselves,  to  give  diligent  heed  to  the 
words  of  eternal  life. 

"For  you  shall  live  by  every  word 
that  proceedeth  forth  from  the  mouth 
of  God."  (D&C  84:33-44.) 

As  all  of  us  know,  a  covenant  is  a 
contract  and  an  agreement  between 
at  least  two  parties.  In  the  case  of 
gospel  covenants,  the  parties  are  the 
Lord   in   heaven  and  men   on   earth. 


Men  agree  to  keep  the  commandments 
and  the  Lord  promises  to  reward  them 
accordingly.  The  gospel  itself  is  the 
new  and  everlasting  covenant  and  em- 
braces all  of  the  agreements,  promises, 
and  rewards  which  the  Lord  offers  to 
his  people. 

And  so  when  we  receive  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood  we  do  so  by  cove- 
nant. We  solemnly  promise  to  receive 
the  priesthood,  to  magnify  our  callings 
in  it,  and  to  live  by  every  word  that 
proceedeth  forth  from  the  mouth  of 
God.  The  Lord  on  his  part  promises 
us  that  if  we  keep  the  covenant,  we 
shall  receive  all  that  the  Father  hath, 
which  is  life  eternal.  Can  any  of  us 
conceive  of  a  greater  or  more  glorious 
agreement  than  this? 

Sometimes  we  speak  loosely  of  mag- 
nifying our  priesthood,  but  what  the 
revelations  speak  of  is  magnifying  our 
callings  in  the  priesthood,  as  elders, 
seventies,  high  priests,  patriarchs,  and 
apostles. 

The  priesthood  held  by  man  is  the 
power  and  authority  of  God  delegated 
to  man  on  earth  to  act  in  all  things 
for  the  salvation  of  mankind.  Priest- 
hood offices  or  callings  are  ministerial 
assignments  to  perform  specially  as- 
signed service  in  the  priesthood.  And 
the  way  to  magnify  these  callings  is 
to  do  the  work  designed  to  be  per- 
formed by  those  who  hold  the  particu- 
lar office  involved. 

It  does  not  matter  what  office  we 


26 


General  Conference  Index 


Speakers 

Joseph  Anderson 
Marvin  J.  Ashton 
William  H.  Bennett 
Ezra  Taft  Benson 
Bernard  P.  Brockban 
Victor  L.  Brown 
Theodore  M.  Burton 
James  A.  Cullimore 
Lorin  C.  Dunn 
Paul  H.  Dunn 
Alvin  R.  Dyer 
Richard  L.   Evans 
David  B.  Haight 
Marion  D.  Hanks 
Gordon  B.  Hinckley 
Howard  W.  Hunter 


54 
59 
122 
46 

120 

109 
57 
60 
62 
37 

124 

88.  98 

87 

66 

71,  97 

115 


Spencer  W.  Kimball 
Harold  B.  Lee  28,  103, 
Neal  A.  Maxwell 
Bruce  R.  McConkie 
Thomas  S.  Monson 
Boyd  K.  Packer 
Mark  E.  Petersen 
Hartman  Rector,  Jr. 
Franklin  D.  Richards 
LeGrand  Richards 
Marion  G.  Romney 
Sterling  W.  Sill 
Robert  L.  Simpson 
Eldred  G.  Smith 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith 
26, 


73 
126 
92 

112 
99 

106 

117 
76 
82 
69 
50 
78 
95 
41 
2, 

127 


Delbert  L.  Stapley 
N.  Eldon  Tanner 
Henry  D.  Taylor 
A.  Theodore  Tuttle 
John  H.  Vandenberg 


Subjects 

Aaronic  Priesthood 

Action 

Beatitudes 

Blessings 

Book  of  Mormon      ! 

Children 

Church  presidency 


64 
31,  91 
43 
84 
35 


91, 
109 

59 
124 
127 
117 

62 
126 


Church  publications 

Commandments 

Drugs 

Education 

Ensign  magazine 

Exaltation 

Expo  '70 

Faith 

Family  46, 

Family  home  evenin 

Free  agency 

Friend  magazine 

Gathering  of  Israel 

Genealogy 

God 

Great  White  God 


103 

88 
62 
92 
92 
76 

120 

43 

62,  64 

g     106 

122 
97 
69 
57 
60 

117 


Heritage 

Home 

Home  teaching 

Honesty 

Hypocrisy 

Indians 

Individual 

Jesus  Christ     35.  112, 


Joseph  Smith 
Leadership 
Life 

Locusts 
Lost  souls 
Love  3 1 , 

Meekness 
Memory 


69, 


87 
46 
35 
82 
31 
117 
66 
117 
112 
59 
88 
73 
35 
115 
124 
54 


Missionaries 

New  Era  magazine 

Oath  and  covenant 


Obedience 


41 
103, 


Objectives 

Opportunity 

Parents 

Patriotism 

Personal  achievement 

program 
Personal   involvement 
Plan  of  salvation  ! 

Pornography 
Priesthood 
Principles 


,  37 
98 
26 
43, 

122 
66 
73 
62 
78 

95 

59 

,  28 

103 

84 

66 


Prophecy 

Restoration 

Repentance 

Resurrection 

Self-discipline 

Seventy 

Spirit 

Sunday  closing 

Spiritual  values 


69 

69 

76,  122 

76 

71,    91 

84 

66 

103 

115 


Teacher  development 

Temptation 

Testimony         37,  87 

Thankfulness 

Virtue 

Wasted  time 

War 

Word  of  wisdom 

Work 


99 
91 

122 

87,  127 

71 

73 

122 
91 


NOTE:  Elder  Hugh  B.  Brown  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 
and  Elder  Thorpe  B.  Isaacson,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve, 
did  not  speak.  Elders  Alma  Sonne  and  EIRay  L.  Christian- 
sen, Assistants  to  the  Twelve,  and  Presidents  S.  Dilworth 
Young  and  Milton  R.  Hunter  of  the  First  Council  of  the 
Seventy  offered  prayers  at  the  conference. 


Py10  cHinnn       President  Joseph 
L    I  ICDlllVUl/L       Fielding  Smith 


hold  as  long  as  we  are  true  and  faithful 
to  our  obligations.  One  office  is  not 
greater  than  another,  although  for  ad- 
ministrative reasons  one  priesthood 
holder  may  be  called  to  preside  over 
and  direct  the  labors  of  another. 

My  father,  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
said:  "There  is  no  office  growing  out 
of  this  priesthood  that  is  or  can  be 
greater  than  the  priesthood  itself.  It  is 
from  the  priesthood  that  the  office  de- 
rives its  authority  and  power.  No  office 
gives  authority  »to  the  priesthood.  No 
office  adds  to  the  power  of  the  priest- 
hood. But  all  offices  in  the  Church 
derive  their  power,  their  virtue,  their 
authority,  from  the  priesthood." 

We  are  called  upon  to  magnify  our 
callings  in  the  priesthood  and  to  do  the 
work  which  goes  with  the  office  we 
receive.  And  so  the  Lord  says,  in  the 
revelation  on  priesthood:  "Therefore, 
let  every  man  stand  in  his  own  office, 
and  labor  in  his  own  calling;  .  .  .  that 
the  system  may  be  kept  perfect."  (D&C 
84:109-10.) 

This  is  one  of  the  great  goals  toward 
which  we  are  working  in  the  priesthood 
program  of  the  Church,  to  have  elders 
do  the  work  of  elders,  seventies  the 
work  of  seventies,  high  priests  the  work 
of  high  priests,  and  so  on,  so  that  all 
priesthood  holders  may  magnify  their 
own  callings  and  reap  the  rich  bless- 
ings promised  from  such  a  course. 

Now  may  I  say  a  few  words  about 
the  oath  which  accompanies  the  recep- 


tion of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood. 

To  swear  with  an  oath  is  the  most 
solemn  and  binding  form  of  speech 
known  to  the  human  tongue;  and  it 
was  this  type  of  language  which  the 
Father  chose  to  have  used  in  the  great 
Messianic  prophecy  about  Christ  and 
the  priesthood.  Of  him  it  says:  "The 
Lord  hath  sworn,  and  will  not  repent, 
Thou  are  a  priest  for  ever  after  the 
order  of  Melchizedek."  (Ps.  110:4.) 

In  explaining  this  Messianic  proph- 
ecy, Paul  says  that  Jesus  had  "an 
unchangeable  priesthood,"  and  that 
through  it  came  "the  power  of  an  end- 
less life."  (See  Heb.  7:24,  16.)  Joseph 
Smith  said  that  "all  those  who  are  or- 
dained unto  this  priesthood  are  made 
like  unto  the  Son  of  God,  abiding  a 
priest  continually,"  that  is,  if  they  are 
faithful  and  true. 

And  so  Christ  is  the  great  prototype 
where  priesthood  is  concerned,  as  he  is 
with  reference  to  baptism  and  all  other 
things.  And  so,  even  as  the  Father 
swears  with  an  oath  that  his  Son  shall 
inherit  all  things  through  the  priest- 
hood, so  he  swears  with  an  oath  that 
all  of  us  who  magnify  our  callings  in 
that  same  priesthood  shall  receive  all 
that  the  Father  hath. 

This  is  the  promise  of  exaltation  of- 
fered to  every  man  who  holds  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  but  it  is  a  con- 
ditional promise,  a  promise  conditioned 
upon  our  magnifying  our  callings  in 
the  priesthood  and  living  by  every  word 


that  proceedeth  forth  from  the  mouth 
of  God. 

It  is  perfectly  clear  that  there  are  no 
more  glorious  promises  that  have  or 
could  be  made  than  those  that  came  to 
us  when  we  accepted  the  privilege  and 
assumed  the  responsibility  of  holding 
the  holy  priesthood  and  of  standing  as 
ministers  of  Christ. 

The  Aaronic  Priesthood  is  a  prepara- 
tory priesthood  to  qualify  us  to  make 
the  covenant  and  receive  the  oath  that 
attends  this  higher  priesthood. 

It  is  my  prayer  that  all  of  us  who 
have  been  called  to  represent  the  Lord 
and  hold  his  authority  may  remember 
who  we  are  and  act  accordingly. 

May  I  conclude  by  saying  how  grate- 
ful I  am  that  I  hold  the  holy  priest- 
hood. I  have  sought  all  my  days  to 
magnify  my  calling  in  that  priesthood 
and  hope  to  endure  to  the  end  in  this 
life  and  to  enjoy  the  fellowship  of  the 
faithful  saints  in  the  life  to  come. 

I  bear  my  testimony  that  we  do  in 
fact  have  the  holy  priesthood,  that  it 
is  God's  power,  and  that  through  it  we 
may  inherit  the  fullness  of  our  Father's 
kingdom    hereafter,    in    the    name    of 


Jesus  Christ.    Amen. 


Address  delivered 

at  general  priesthood  session 

Saturday,  October  3,  1970 


O 


Era,  December  1970    27 


Address  delivered  Sunday  morning,  October  4,  1970 


3s;< 


Time  to  Prepare  to  Meet  God 


V:::  M: 

r 


•  This  morning  in  my  remarks  I  de- 
sire to  direct  your  attention  to  some 
principles  of  vital  importance  to  every 
human  soul,  by  relating  an  incident 
with  which  almost  everyone  will  be 
familiar,  which  may  serve  as  some- 
thing of  an  introduction  to  what  I 
would  say  to  you  in  this  great  con- 
ference, on  this  the  Lord's  day,  in  this 
historic  Tabernacle,  which  has  been 
the  forum  for  some  of  the  greatest 
discourses  given  in  our  generation. 

Humbled  by  this  realization,  I  seek 
for  divine  guidance,  that  I  might  be  in 
harmony  with  the  spirit  of  this  won- 
derful occasion. 

To  introduce  my  text  I  want  to  use, 
as  an  illustration,  a  well-remembered 
incident  to  which  other  speakers  at 
this  conference  have  already  made 
reference. 

Some  months  ago,  millions  of  watch- 
ers and  listeners  over  the  world  waited 
breathlessly  and  anxiously  the  precari- 
ous flight  of  Apollo  13.  The  whole 
world,  it  seemed,  prayed  for  one  signifi- 
cant result:  the  safe  return  to  earth  of 
three  brave  men. 

When  one  of  them  with  restrained 
anxiety  announced  the  startling  infor- 
mation, "We  have  had  an  explosion!" 
the  mission  control  in  Houston  imme- 
diately mobilized  all  the  technically 
trained  scientists  who  had,  over  the 
years,  planned  every  conceivable  detail 
pertaining  to  that  flight. 

The  safety  of  those  three  now  de- 
pended on  two -vital  qualifications:  on 
the  reliability  of  the  skills  and  the 
knowledge  of  those  technicians  in  the 
mission  control  center  at  Houston,  and 
upon  the  implicit  obedience  of  the  men 
in  the  Aquarius  to  every  instruction 
from  the  technicians,  who,  because  of 
their  understanding  of  the  problems  of 


the  astronauts,  were  better  qualified 
to  find  the  essential  solutions.  The  de- 
cisions of  the  technicians  had  to  be 
perfect  or  the  Aquarius  could  have 
missed  the  earth  by  thousands  of  miles. 

This  dramatic  event  is  somewhat 
analogous  to  these  troublous  times  in 
which  we  live.  The  headlines  in  the 
public  press  only  this  week  made  an- 
other startling  announcement  by  a 
presidential  commission  to  the  Presi- 
dent of  the  United  States.  "U.S.  Society 
Is  in  Peril."  Many  are  frightened  when 
they  see  and  hear  of  unbelievable 
happenings  the  world  over — political 
intrigues,  wars  and  contention  every- 
where, frustrations  of  parents,  endeav- 
oring to  cope  with  social  problems 
that  threaten  to  break  down  the  sanc- 
tity of  the  home,  the  frustrations  of 
children  and  youth  as  they  face  chal- 
lenges to  their  faith  and  their  morals. 

Only  if  you  are  willing  to  listen  and 
obey,  as  did  the  astronauts  on  the 
Aquarius,  can  you  and  all  your  house- 
holds be  guided  to  ultimate  safety  and 
security  in  the  Lord's  own  way. 

There  are,  in  these  troubled  times, 
agonizing  cries  of  distress  among  the 
peoples  of  the  earth.  There  are  intense 
reelings  of  a  need  for  some  way  to  find 
a  solution  to  overwhelming  problems 
and  to  ease  this  distress  from  all  that 
affects  mankind. 

To  one  who  is  acquainted  with  and 
well  versed  in  the  prophetic  teachings 
of  the  past  generations,  there  should 
be  little  question  as  to  the  meaning  of 
all  that  is  going  on  among  us  today, 
when  it  seems  as  though  everything  is 
in  turmoil. 

Prophecy  may  well  be  defined  as 
history  in  reverse.  Before  our  very  eyes 
we  are  witnessing  the  fulfillment  of 
prophecies  made  by  inspired  prophets 


in  ages  past.  In  the  very  beginning  of 
this  dispensation  we  were  plainly  told 
in  a  revelation  from  the  Lord  that  the 
time  was  nigh  at  hand  when  peace 
would  be  taken  from  the  earth  and  the 
devil  would  have  power  over  his  own 
dominion.  (See  D&G  1:35.)  The 
prophets  of  our  day  also  foretold  that 
there  should  be  wars  and  rumors  of 
wars,  and  "the  whole  earth  shall  be  in 
commotion,  and  men's  hearts  shall  fail 
them,  and  they  shall  say  that  Christ 
delayeth  his  coming  until  the  end  of 
the  earth.  And  the  love  of  men  shall 
wax  cold,  and  iniquity  shall  abound." 
(D&C  45:26-27.) 

When  the  disciples  asked  the  Mas- 
ter, prior  to  his  crucifixion,  as  to  signs 
that  should  immediately  precede  his 
coming  again  to  the  earth,  as  he  fore- 
told, he  answered  by  saying  that  "in 
those  days,  shall  be  great  tribulations 
on  the  Jews,  and  upon  the  inhabitants 
of  Jerusalem; 

".  .  .  and  except  those  days  should  be 
shortened,  there  should  none  of  their 
flesh  be  saved. 

"But  for  the  elect's  sake,  according 
to  the  covenant,  those  days  shall  be 
shortened. 

"For  nation  shall  rise  against  na- 
tion, and  kingdom  against  kingdom; 
there  shall  be  famine  and  pestilences, 
and  earthquakes  in  divers  places."  (In- 
spired Version,  Matt.  24:18-20,  30;  see 
also  Joseph  Smith  1:18-20,  29.) 

The  Master  undoubtedly  spoke  of 
times  such  as  these  when  he  foretold 
that  a  man  would  be  "at  variance 
against  his  father,  and  the  daughter 
against  her  mother,  and  the  daughter 
in  law  against  her  mother  in  law. 

"And  a  man's  foes  shall  be  they  of 
his  own  household."  (Matt.  10:35-36.) 

With  all  of  this  in  mind,  one  may 


28 


ask:  To  whom  may  those  in  distress 
and  in  great  anxiety  look  for  the  an- 
swer and  for  "refuge  from  this  storm"' 
raging  all  about  them? 

Almighty  God,  through  his  Son,  our 
Lord,  has  pointed  the  way  and  has 
given  to  all  mankind  a  sure  guide  to 
safety,  when  he  declared  that  the  Lord 
shall  have  power  over  his  saints  and 
would  reign  in  their  midst,  when  his 
mighty  judgments  would  descend  upon 
the  world.  (SeeD&C  1:36.) 

He  said  to  all  men:  "Watch  there- 
fore: for  ye  know  not  what  hour  your 
Lord  doth  come. 

"Therefore  be  ye  also  ready:  for  in 
such  an  hour  as  ye  think  not  the  Son 
of  Man  cometh."  (Matt.  24:42,  44.) 

He  has  counseled  that  his  "disciples 
shall  stand  in  holy  places,  and  shall 
not  be  moved;  but  among  the  wicked, 
men  shall  lift  up  their  voices  and  curse 
God  and  die."  (D&C  45:32.) 

From  the  incident  of  the  Apollo  13 
as  I  have  related,  and  having  in  mind 
the  promises  of  the  Lord  to  which  I 
have  made .  reference,  I  will  now,  in  a 
few  moments,  undertake  to  outline 
briefly  the  wondrously  conceived  plan 
upon  obedience  to  which  the  salvation 
of  every  soul  depends  in  his  journey 
through  mortality  to  his  ultimate  des- 
tiny— a  return  to  that  God  who  gave 
him  life.  This  is  that  way  by  which 
the  Lord  will  keep  his  promise  "to  have 
power  over  his  saints  and  to  reign  in 
their  midst." 

This  plan  is  identified  by  name,  and 
the  overarching  purpose  is  clearly  set 
forth  in  an  announcement  to  the 
Church  in  the  beginning  of  this  gospel 
dispensation. 

More  than  a  century  ago  the  Lord 
declared: 

"And  even  so  I  have  sent  mine  ever- 
lasting covenant  into  the  world,  to  be 
a  light  to  the  world,  and  to  be  a 
standard  for  my  people,  and  for  the 
Gentiles  to  seek  to  it,  and  to  be  a 
messenger  before  my  face  to  prepare 
the  way  before  me."  (D&C  45:9.) 

This  plan,  then,  was  to  be  as  a  cove- 
nant, which  implied  a  contract  to  be 
participated  in  by  more  than  one  per- 
son. It  was  to  be  a  standard  for  the 
Lord's  elect  and  for  all  the  world  to 
benefit  by  it.  Its  purpose  was  to  serve 
the  needs  of  all  men  and  to  prepare 
the  world  for  the  second  coming  of 
the  Lord. 

The  participants  in  the  formulation 
of  this  plan  in  the  premortal  world 
were  all  the  spirit  children  of  our 
Heavenly  Father.  Our  oldest  scriptures, 
from  the  writings  of  the  ancient 
prophets  Abraham  and  Jeremiah,  af- 
firm also  that  God,  or  Eloheim,  was 
there;  his  Firstborn  Son,  Jehovah, 
Abraham,  Jeremiah,  and  many  others 
of  great  stature  were  there. 


All  the  organized  intelligences  be- 
fore the  earth  was  formed,  who  had 
become  spirits,  were  there,  including 
many  great  and  noble  ones  whose  per- 
formance and  conduct  in  that  premor- 
tal sphere  qualified  them  to  become 
rulers  and  leaders  in  carrying  out  this 
eternal  plan. 

The  apostle  Paul  in  his  writings  to 
the  Corinthians  taught  that  "there  be 
gods  many,  and  lords  many,"  and  then 
he  added,  "But  to  us  there  is  but  one 
God,  the  Father,  of  whom  are  all 
things,  and  we  in  him;  and  one  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  by  whom  are  all  things, 
and  we  by  him."  (1  Cor.  8:5-6.  Italics 
added.) 

I  would  have  you  note  particularly 
the  use  of  the  preposition  "of,"  in  ref- 
erence to  the  Father,  and  the  preposi- 
tion "by,"  in  reference  to  our  Lord, 
Jesus  Christ.  In  this  statement  is 
clearly  defined  the  role  of  each,  the 
Lord  to  do  the  bidding  of  the  Father, 
in  the  execution  of  the  whole  plan  of 
salvation  for  all  mankind.    (See  Abr. 

4.) 

Understanding  this  principle  in  the 
plan  of  the  government  of  God,  we  are 
given  a  glimpse  of  the  council  meeting 
of_  Gods,  as  briefly  recorded  in  revela- 
tions to  ancient  prophets. 

Under  the  Father's  instruction  and 
by  Jehovah's  direction,  the  earth  and 
all  pertaining  thereto  was  organized 
and  formed.  They  "ordered,"  they 
"watched  over"  and  "prepared"  the 
earth.  They  took  "counsel  among  them- 
selves" as  to  the  bringing  of  all  man- 
ner of  life  to  the  earth  and  all  things, 
including  man,  and  prepared  it  for  the 
carrying  out  of  the  plan,  which  we 
could  well  liken  to  a  blueprint,  by 
which  the  children  of  God  could  be 
tutored  and  trained  in  all  that  was 
necessary  for  the  divine  purpose  of 
bringing  to  pass,  "to  the  glory  of  God," 
the  opportunity  of  every  soul  to  gain 
"immortality  and  eternal  life."  Eternal 
life  means  to  have  everlasting  life  in 
that  celestial  sphere  where  God  and 
Christ  dwell,  by  doing  all  things  we 
are  commanded.  (See  Abr.  3:25.) 

The  plan  embodied  three  distinctive 
principles: 

First,  the  privilege  to  be  given  to 
every  soul  to  choose  for  himself  "lib- 
erty and  eternal  life"  through  obedi- 
ence to  the  laws  of  God,  or  "captivity 
and  death"  as  to  spiritual  things  be- 
cause of  disobedience.  (See  2  Ne.  2:27.) 

Next  to  life  itself,  free  agency  is 
God's  greatest  gift  to  mankind,  provid- 
ing thereby  the  greatest  opportunity 
for  the  children  of  God  to  advance  in 
this  second  estate  of  mortality.  A 
prophet-leader  on  this  continent  ex- 
plained this  to  his  son  as  recorded  in 
an  ancient  scripture:  that  to  bring 
about  these,   the  Lord's   eternal   pur- 


poses, there  must  be  opposites,  an 
enticement  by  the  good  on  the  one 
hand  and  by  the  evil  on  the  other,  or 
to  say  it  in  the  language  of  the  scrip- 
tures, ".  .  .  the  forbidden  fruit  in 
opposition  to  the  tree  of  life;  the  one 
being  sweet  and  the  other  being  bitter." 
This  father  further  explained,  "Where- 
fore, the  Lord  God  gave  unto  man  that 
he  should  act  for  himself.  Wherefore, 
man  could  not  act  for  himself  save  it 
should  be  that  he  was  enticed  by  the 
one  or  the  other."  (2  Ne.  2:15-16.) 

The  second  distinctive  principle  in 
this  divine  plan  involved  the  necessity 
of  providing  a  savior  by  whose  atone- 
ment the  most  favored  Son  of  God  be- 
came our  Savior,  as  a  "Lamb  slain 
from  the  foundation  of  the  world" 
(Rev.  13:8),  as  revealed  to  John  on  the 
Isle  of  Patmos.  Another  prophet-teacher 
explained  that  the  mission  of  the  Son 
of  God  was  to  "make  intercession  for 
all  the  children  of  men;  and  they  that 
believe  in  him  shall  be  saved."  (2 
Ne.  2:9.) 

We  hear  much  from  some  of  limited 
understanding  about  the  possibility  of 
one's  being  saved  by  grace  alone.  But  it 
requires  the  explanation  of  another 
prophet  to  understand  the  true  doctrine 
of  grace  as  he  explained  in  these  mean- 
ingful words: 

"For,"  said  this  prophet,  "we  labor 
diligently  to  write,  to  persuade  our 
children,  and  also  our  brethren,  to  be- 
lieve in  Christ,  and  to  be  reconciled  to 
God;  for  we  know  that  it  is  by  grace 
that  we  are  saved,  after  all  we  can  do." 
(2  Ne.  25:23.)  Truly  we  are  redeemed 
by  the  atoning  blood  of  the  Savior  of 
the  world,  but  only  after  each  has  done 
all  he  can  to  work  out  his  own  sal- 
vation. 

The  third  great  distinctive  principle 
in  the  plan  of  salvation  was  the  provi- 
sion that  "all  mankind  may  be  saved, 
by  obedience  to  the  laws  and  ordinances 
of  the  Gospel."  (Article  of  Faith  3.) 
These  fundamental  laws  and  ordi- 
nances by  which  salvation  comes  are 
clearly  set  forth: 

First,  faith  in  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

Second,  repentance  from  sin,  mean- 
ing the  turning  away  from  the  sins  of 
disobedience  to  God's  laws  and  never 
returning  again  thereto.  The  Lord 
spoke  plainly  on  this  point.  Said  he: 
",  .  .  go  your  ways  and  sin  no  more; 
but  unto  that  soul  who  sinneth  [mean- 
ing, of  course,  returning  again  to  the 
sins  from  which  he  has  repented]  shall 
the  former  sins  return,  saith  the  Lord 
your  God."  (D&C  82:7.) 

Third,  baptism  by  water  and  of  the 
Spirit,  by  which  ordinances  only,  as 
the  Master  taught  Nicodemus,  could 
one  see  or  enter  into  the  kingdom  of 
God.  (See  John  3:4-5.) 

This    same    teaching    was    forcibly 


Era,  December  1970    29 


impressed  by  the  resurrected  Savior  to 
the  saints  on  this  continent,  in  what  it 
appears  likely  was  his  final  message 
to  his  disciples.  The  Master  taught 
his  faithful  saints  that  "no  unclean 
thing  can  enter  into  his  kingdom; 
therefore  nothing  entereth  into  his  rest 
save  it  be  those  who  have  washed  their 
garments  in  my  blood,  because  of  their 
faith,  and  the  repentance  of  all  their 
sins,  and  their  faithfulness  unto  the 
end. 

"Now  this  is  the  commandment: 
Repent,  all  ye  ends  of  the  earth,  and 
come  unto  me  and  be  baptized  in  my 
name,  that  ye  may  be  sanctified  by  the 
reception  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  ye 
may  stand  spotless  before  me  at  the  last 
day. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  this 
is  my  gospel.  . .  ."  (3  Ne.  27:19-21.) 

If  the  children  of  the  Lord,  which 
includes  all  who  are  upon  this  earth, 
regardless  of  nationality,  color,  or 
creed,  will  heed  the  call  of  the  true 
messenger  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ, 
as  did  the  three  astronauts  on  the 
Aquarius  to  the  trained  technicians  at 
Mission  Control  in  the  hour  of  their 
peril,  each  may  in  time  see  the  Lord 
and  know  that  he  is,  as  the  Lord  has 
promised,  then  their  calling  and  elec- 
tion will  be  made  sure.  They  will 
"become  the  sons  of  Moses  and  of 
Aaron,  and  the  seed  of  Abraham,  .  .  . 
and  the  elect  of  God."  (D&C  84:34.) 

This  promise  of  the  glory  which 
awaits  those  who  are  faithful  to  the 
end  was  plainly  portrayed  in  the  Mas- 
ter's parable  of  the  Prodigal  Son.  To 
the  son  who  was  faithful  and  did  not 
squander  his  birthright,  the  father, 
who  in  the  Master's  lesson  would  be 
our  Father  and  our  God,  promised 
this  faithful  son:  "Son,  thou  art  ever 
with  me,  and  all  that  I  have  is  thine." 
(Luke  15:31.) 

In  a  revelation  through  a  modern 
prophet,  the  Lord  promises  to  the 
faithful  and  obedient  today:  ".  .  .  all 
that  mv  Father  hath  shall  be  given 
unto  him."  (D&C  84:38.) 


Or  will  we  be  like  those  foolhardy 
ones  on  the  river  above  the  Niagara 
Falls  who  were  approaching  the  dan- 
gerous rapids?  Despite  warnings  of  the 
river  guards  to  go  toward  safety  before  it 
was  too  late,  and  in  complete  disregard 
of  the  warnings,  they  laughed,  they 
danced,  they  drank,  they  mocked,  and 
they  perished. 

So  would  have  been  the  fate  of  the 
three  astronauts  on  the  Aquarius  if 
they  had  refused  to  give  heed  to  the 
minutest  instruction  from  Houston 
Control.  Their  very  lives  depended 
upon  obedience  to  the  basic  laws  which 
govern  and  control  the  forces  of  the 
universe. 

Jesus  wept  as  he  witnessed  the  world 
about  him  in  his  day  which  had  seem- 
ingly gone  mad,  and  continually 
mocked  his  pleading  that  they  come 
unto  him  along  "the  strait  and  narrow 
way,"  so  plainly  marked  out  in  God's 
eternal  plan  of  salvation. 

O  that  we  could  hear  again  his 
pleadings  today  as  he  then  cried  out: 
"O  Jerusalem,  Jerusalem,  thou  that 
killest  the  prophets,  and  stonest  them 
which  are  sent  unto  thee,  how  often 
would  I  have  gathered  thy  children 
together,  even  as  a  hen  gathereth  her 
chickens  under  her  wings,  and  ye 
would  not!"  (Matt.  23:37.) 

O  that  the  world  would  see  in  an- 
other parable  to  John  the  Revelator  the 
sacred  figure  of  the  Master  calling  to 
us  today  as  he  did  to  those  of  Jeru- 
salem: 

Said  the  Master,  "Behold,  I  stand  at 
the  door,  and  knock:  if  any  man  hear 
my  voice,  and  open  the  door,  I  will 
come  in  to  him,  and  will  sup  with  him, 
and  he  with  me. 

"To  him  that  overcometh  will  I  grant 
to  sit  with  me  in  my  throne,  even  as 
I  also  overcame,  and  am  set  down  with 
my  Father  in  his  throne."  (Rev. 
3:20-21.) 

Here,  then,  is  the  plan  of  salvation 
as  taught  by  the  true  church,  which  is 
founded  upon  apostles  and  prophets, 
with   Christ,   the   Lord,   as   the   chief 


cornerstone  (Eph.  2:20),  by  which  only 
can  peace  come,  not  as  the  world 
giveth,  but  as  only  the  Lord  can  give 
to  those  who  overcome  the  things  of  the 
world,  as  did  the  Master. 

"Neither  is  there  salvation  in  any 
other:  for  there  is  none  other  name 
under  heaven  given  among  men,  where- 
by we  must  be  saved."  (Acts  4:12.) 

To  all  of  this  I  bear  my  sincere  wit- 
ness in  the  name  of  our  Lord  Jesus 
Christ. 

In  a  recent  meeting  I  listened  to  a 
young  girl's  heartwarming  testimony. 
Her  father  was  afflicted  with  what  the 
doctors  had  pronounced  was  an  incur- 
able malady.  To  his  wife  one  morning, 
this  stricken  father,  after  a  night  of 
pain  and  suffering,  had  said  with  great 
reeling,  "I  am  so  thankful  today." 
"For  what?"  she  asked.  He  replied, 
"For  God's  giving  me  the  privilege  of 
one  more  day  with  you." 

Today  I  could  desire  with  all  my 
heart  that  all  within  the  sound  of  this 
broadcast  would  likewise  thank  God 
for  one  more  day!  For  what?  For  the 
opportunity  to  take  care  of  some  un- 
finished business.  To  repent;  to  right 
some  wrongs;  to  influence  for  good 
some  wayward  child;  to  reach  out  to 
someone  who  cries  for  help — in  short, 
to  thank  God  for  one  more  day  to  pre- 
pare to  meet  God. 

Don't  try  to  live  too  many  days 
ahead.  Seek  for  strength  to  attend  to 
the  problems  of  today.  In  his  Sermon 
on  the  Mount,  the  Master  admonished: 
"Take  therefore  no  thought  of  the 
morrow:  for  the  morrow  shall  take 
thought  for  the  things  of  itself.  Suffi- 
cient unto  the  day  is  the  evil  thereof." 
(Matt.  6:34.) 

Do  all  that  you  can  do  and  leave 
the  rest  to  God,  the  Father  of  us  all. 
It  is  not  enough  to  say  I  will  do  my 
best,  but  rather,  I  will  do  everything 
which  is  within  my  power;  I  will  do 
all  that  is  necessary. 

In  a  plaque  on  the  walls  of  the  Radio 
City  Music  Hall  in  New  York  City  are 
these  profound  words  of  wisdom: 

"Man's  ultimate  destiny  depends,  not 
upon  whether  he  can  learn  new  lessons, 
or  make  new  discoveries,  and  conquests, 
but  upon  his  acceptance  of  the  lessons 
taught." 

My  prayer  is  that  the  message  of 
those  words  of  wisdom  may  be  trans- 
lated into  a  determination  on  the  part 
of  all  of  us  listening  here  this  day,  to 
the  end  that  our  eyes  will  be  so  single 
to  God,  that  our  whole  bodies  shall  be 
so  filled  with  light,  that  there  shall 
be  no  darkness  in  us,  to  the  end 
that  we  may  be  able  to  comprehend  all 
things.  (See  D&C  88:67.) 

God  grant  that  it  might  be  so,  I  pray 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


30 


•  This  great  audience  assembled  here 
in  this  historic  Tabernacle  is  an  inspir- 
ing sight  indeed.  I  wish  to  welcome 
you  and  all  those  who  are  listening  in 
this  morning,  and  invite  you  to  partici- 
pate with  us  in  our  discussions.  It  is 
our  purpose  to  disseminate  the  teach- 
ings of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ,  and 
by  so  doing  to  strengthen  the  faith  and 
testimony  of  all  who  will  believe  on 
his  name,  for  his  is  the  only  name 
under  heaven  whereby  we  may  be 
saved,  and  following  his  teachings  is 
the  only  way  for  us  to  enjoy  peace  on 
earth  and  eternal  life  hereafter. 

Just  the  other  day  I  was  talking  to 
someone  who  said,  "There  goes  a  man 
in  whom  you  can  place  full  confidence. 
You  always  know  where  he  stands.  He 
never  pretends,  but  is  always  sincere 
and  just  his  best  self." 

The  same  day,  someone,  referring  to 
another  man,  said,  "Isn't  it  too  bad 
that  you  never  know  just  where  he 
stands?  You  are  never  sure  you  can 
depend  on  what  he  says.  I  think  the 
Lord  would  have  called  him  a  hypo- 
crite." I  felt  to  agree  with  him. 

It  is  about  hypocrisy  that  I  wish  to 
address  my  remarks  today,  especially  to 
the  members  of  The  Church  of  Jesus 
Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints,  wherever 
they  may  be.  We  have  approximately 
three  million  members,  made  up  of  all 
kinds  of  people,  ranging  from  those 
who  are  fully  dedicated  and  prepared 
to  give  all  that  they  have  in  the  service 
of  the  Lord  and  their  fellowmen,  to 
those  who  have  not  yet  been  fully  con- 
verted and  who  do  not  see  the  im- 
portance of  living  the  teachings  of 
Jesus  Christ  or  of  being  active  and 
prepared  to  give  service  wherever 
possible. 

If  we  are  to  enjoy  the  blessings  of 
the  Lord  and  the  confidence  of  the 
people  with  whom  we  associate,  we 
must  be  prepared  to  live  the  gospel 
and  to  be  honestly  and  actively  en- 
gaged in  practicing  and  teaching  its 
concepts,  never  pretending  to  be  what 


we  are  not.  The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ 
tells  us  how  we  should  live.  Let  us 
refer  to  some  of  its  great  truths. 

The  Lord  has  said:  ".  .  .  this  is  my 
work  and  my  glory — to  bring  to  pass 
the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of 
man."  (Moses  1:39.) 

"I  am  the  resurrection,  and  the  life: 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live: 

"And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  me  shall  never  die."  (John  11:25- 
26.) 

And  then  in  answer  to  the  lawyer 
who  asked,  tempting  him,  ".  .  .  which  is 
the  great  commandment  in  the  law?" 
he  replied:  "Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord 
thy  God  with  all  thy  heart,  and  with 
all  thy  soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  com- 
mandment. 

"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

"On  these  two  commandments  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  (Matt. 
22:36-40.) 

We  are  told  that  "pure  religion  and 
undefiled  before  God  and  the  Father 
is  this,  To  visit  the  fatherless  and 
widows  in  their  affliction,  and  to  keep 
himself  unspotted  from  the  world." 
(Jas.  1:27.) 

The  Ten  Commandments  are  given 
to  us  in  very  clear  language,  and  need- 
ing no  enlargement,  and  leaving  no 
question.  The  Sermon  on  the  Mount 
leaves  no  doubt  as  to  Christ's  message 
to  the  human  race  and  what  our  re- 
sponsibilities are  if  we  wish  to  enjoy 
his  blessings  and  his  Spirit  to  guide  us. 
We  also  have  our  Articles  of  Faith, 
which  outline  the  high  code  by  which 
we  should  govern  our  lives. 

Jesus  said:  "Not  every  one  that  saith 
unto  me,  Lord,  Lord,  shall  enter  into 
the  kingdom  of  heaven;  but  he  that 
doeth  the  will  of  my  Father  which  is 
in  heaven."  (Matt.  7:21.) 

In  these,  the  latter  days,  he  said: 
"I,  the  Lord,  am  bound  when  ye  do 
what  I  say;  but  when  ye  do  not  what 


I  say,  ye  have  no  promise."  (D&C 
82:10.) 

And  he  gave  us  this  glorious  promise: 
"All  saints  who  .  .  .  [walk]  in  obedi- 
ence to  the  commandments,  shall  re- 
ceive health  in  their  navel  and  marrow 
to  their  bones; 

"And  shall  find  wisdom  and  great 
treasures  of  knowledge,  even  hidden 
treasures; 

"And  shall  run  and  not  be  weary, 
and  shall  walk  and  not  faint. 

"And  I,  the  Lord,  give  unto  them  a 
promise,  that  the  destroying  angel  shall 
pass  by  them,  as  the  children  of  Israel, 
and  not  slay  them."  (D&C  89:18-21.) 

We  are  admonished  to  be  true  to  the 
faith,  and  warned  against  evil  and 
hypocrisy.  In  fact,  the  Savior  placed 
great  emphasis  on  the  evils  of  hypoc- 
risy. He  was  very  severe  in  his  con- 
demnation of  those  who  professed  one 
thing  and  practiced  another.  He  said: 
"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites!  ...  Ye  serpents,  ye  genera- 
tion of  vipers,  how  can  ye  escape  the 
damnation  of  hell?"  (Matt.  23:29,  33. 
Italics  added.) 

"Woe,"  according  to  the  dictionary, 
means  miserable  or  sorrowful  state,  a 
condition  of  deep  suffering,  misfortune, 
affliction,  grief.  "Hypocrite"  is  one 
who  pretends  to  have  beliefs  or  princi- 
ples which  he  does  not  have,  or  to  be 
what  he  is  not,  especially  a  false  as- 
sumption of  an  appearance  of  virtue 
or  religion. 

As  recorded  in  the  Gospels,  the  Savior 
refers  to  different  examples  of  hypoc- 
risy, and  in  each  case  he  says:  "Woe 
unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees,  hypo- 
crites!" 

I  should  like  to  refer  to  these  and 
other  charges  of  hypocrisy.  As  I  do  so, 
we  might  well  look  at  ourselves  to  see 
how  these  apply  to  us.  As  we  look  at 
the  conditions  in  the  world  today,  I  am 
sure  we  will  find  that  hypocrisy  and 
the  violation  of  the  principles  of  righ- 
teousness and  decency  have  brought 
our  national  and  individual  affairs  to 


Era,  December  1970    31 


the  sorry  state  in  which  they  are  now. 

The  Lord  said:  ".  .  .  they  bind  heavy 
burdens  ...  on  men's  shoulders;  but 
they  themselves  will  not  move  them 
with  one  of  their  fingers. 

"But  all  their  works  they  do  for  to 
be  seen  of  men.  .  .  . 

"And  love  the  uppermost  rooms  at 
feasts,  and  the  chief  seats  in  the  syna- 
gogues. 

".  .  .  ye  devour  widows'  houses,  and 
for  a  pretence  make  long  prayer:  there- 
fore ye  shall  receive  the  greater 
damnation. 

".  .  .  ye  pay  tithe  of  mint  and  anise 
and  cummin,  and  have  omitted  the 
weightier  matters  of  the  law,  judgment, 
mercy,  and  faith:  these  ought  ye  to 
have  done,  and  not  to  leave  the  other 
undone. 

"Ye  blind  guides,  which  strain  at  a 
gnat,  and  swallow  a  camel. 

".  .  .  ye  make  clean  the  outside  of  the 
cup  and  of  the  platter,  but  within  they 
are  full  of  extortion  and  excess. 

".  .  .  ye  are  like  unto  whited  sepul- 
chres, which  indeed  appear  beautiful 
outward,  but  are  within  full  of  dead 
men's  bones,  and  of  all  uncleanness. 

"Even  so  ye  also  outwardly  appear 
righteous  unto  men,  but  within  ye  are 
full  of  hypocrisy  and  iniquity. 

".  .  .  ye  build  the  tombs  of  the 
prophets,  and  garnish  the  sepulchres 
of  the  righteous, 

"And  say,  If  we  had  been  in  the  days 
of  our  fathers,  we  would  not  have  been 
partakers  with  them  in  the  blood  of  the 
prophets."  (Matt.  23:4-6,  14,  23-25, 
27-30.) 

We  might  well  ask  ourselves  if  such 
fallacies  are  present  in  our  own  alleged 
Christianity.  In  those  days,  as  is  so 
common  today,  they  had  brotherhoods 
in  which  the  law  was  strictly  kept,  but 
they  ignored  those  on  the  outside 
by  regarding  all  others  with  contempt 
and  condemnation,  thereby  avoiding 
the  heresy  of  form  but  committing  the 
heresy  of  the  spirit. 

How  many  of  us  are  guilty  of  keep- 
ing the  letter  of  the  law  and  forgetting 
the  spirit  of  the  law  in  that  we  fail  to 
show  mercy  and  faith  in  our  fellow- 
men?  Do  we  place  more  stress  on  an 
external  act  to  be  seen  of  men  than  on 
a  change  of  heart?  The  only  way  to 
cleanse  the  inside  of  the  cup  is  to  be 
pure  in  heart  by  being  humble  and 
turning  from  our  evil  ways  and  by 
living  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to  the 
best  of  our  ability.  We  may  be  able 
to  deceive  men,  but  we  cannot  deceive 
God. 

Is  there  danger  that  our  whole 
civilization  is  like  whitewashed  tombs? 
We  have  marvelous  machines,  tower- 
ing buildings,  and  thousands  of  signs 
of  what  we  call  progress;  but  within 
we  have  unrest,  strife  between  men  and 


nations,  and  unrelieved  burden  of  the 
poor,  and  the  dead  men's  bones  of 
wholesale  wars.  Someone  has  said: 
"Still  we  try  to  safeguard  ourselves  by 
calcimining  the  tomb." 

With  all  the  crime,  changing  of 
population  from  rural  to  urban,  loos- 
ened morals,  pornographic  movies  and 
literature,  etc.,  we  must  stand  firm  in 
the  cause  of  right.  How  can  persons 
for  selfish  reasons  be  hypocrites  enough 
to  urge  the  opening  or  widening  of  the 
liquor  laws  when  they  know  that 
where  consumption  of  liquor  is  greatly 
increased,  there  is  a  similar  increase  in 
multitudes  of  social  problems? 

How  can  a  newspaper  which  records 
the  highway  accidents,  the  deaths,  the 
health  problems,  and  broken  homes  as 
a  result  of  drinking  advocate  making 
liquor  more  easily  available  in  order  to 
attract  more  tourists  and  industry?  The 
cost  to  communities  and  individuals  far 
outweighs  any  benefits. 

The  American  Council  on  Alcohol 
Problems  passed  a  resolution  which 
states:  "While  we  share  the  concern 
of  a  majority  of  our  citizens  about  the 
dangers  in  the  use  of  marijuana,  we  are 
firmly  convinced  that  alcohol  remains 
the  number  one  drug  problem  in  Amer- 
ica and  that  its  damage  to  life,  limb 
and  the  welfare  of  our  people  is  vastly 
greater." 

We  must  be  equally  concerned  about 
the  use  of  drugs  that  destroy  lives  and 
bring  crushing  misery,  not  only  to  users 
but  to  those  around  them.  But  hypoc- 
risy in  the  lives  of  adults  has  a  serious 
influence  on  our  young  people  who  are 
turning  to  this  form  of  protest.  What 
we  are  trying  to  say  is  that  the  kids 
are  affected  by  the  hypocrisy  of  those 
who  accept  the  cocktail  hour  and  other 
evil  practices  and  yet  get  hysterical 
because  the  kids  have  found  other  ways 
to  imitate  their  parents'  behavior.  The 
kids  will  pay  attention  only  when  the 
adults  set  the  proper  example. 

As  great  as  our  responsibility  is 
through  legislation  or  other  means  to 
prevent  our  young  citizens  from  falling 
prey  to  those  intent  on  their  becoming 
victims  of  these  evil  habits,  we  cannot 
minimize  our  responsibility  to  help 
rehabilitate  those  who  have  succumbed. 
How  can  we  call  ourselves  Christians 
and  say  we  love  our  neighbor — who  is 
anyone  in  need  of  help — and  fail  to 
work  with  others  who  are  endeavoring 
to  set  up  facilities  to  assist  alcoholics, 
drug-users,  or  parolees  from  our  pris- 
ons? Yet  there  are  those  who  would 
actually  hamper  such  efforts  because 
they  object  to  having  such  facilities  in 
their  midst.  These  unfortunate  people 
need  our  help.  Surely  we  must  be 
prepared  to  be  the  good  Samaritan  and 
help  wherever  possible. 

How  many  of  us  keep  the  Word  of 


Wisdom  strictly,  but  are  most  in- 
temperate in  our  prejudices  and  con- 
demnations of  others?  Are  there  any  of 
us  who,  as  businessmen,  are  meticu- 
lously polite  and  most  regular  in  church 
attendance  and  yet  accept  glaring  in- 
equalities in  the  social  structure,  and 
who  may  be  unfair  or  dishonest  in 
dealing  with  our  neighbor? 

Are  we  truly  interested  in  and  con- 
cerned with  the  well-being  of  our 
neighbors?  Do  we  visit  the  widows  and 
fatherless,  and  feed,  clothe,  and  com- 
fort the  poor  and  needy?  The  prophet 
Alma  in  his  day  "saw  great  inequality 
among  the  people,  some  lifting  them- 
selves up  with  their  pride,  despising 
others,  turning  their  backs  upon  the 
needy  and  the  naked  and  those  who 
were  hungry,  and  those  who  were 
athirst,  and  those  who  were  sick  and 
afflicted." 

We  read:  "Now  this  was  a  great 
cause  for  lamentations  among  the 
people,  while  others  were  .  .  .  succor- 
ing those  who  stood  in  need  of  their 
succor,  such  as  imparting  their  sub- 
stance to  the  poor  and  the  needy,  feed- 
ing the  hungry.  .  .  ."  (Al.  4:12-13.) 

Recent  changes  in  their  structure  and 
program  will  now  enable  our  Relief 
Society  sisters  to  devote  more  of  their 
time  and  energy  to  the  main  purposes 
for  which  they  were  organized — 
namely,  to  look  after  the  spiritual, 
mental,  and  moral  welfare  of  the 
mothers  and  daughters  in  Zion.  They 
should  be  teaching  the  gospel,  prepar- 
ing our  women  of  all  ages  to  be  better 
homemakers,  and  giving  compassionate 
service  to  those  in  need. 

The  sisters  of  this  great  organization 
give  thousands  of  hours  weekly  in  com- 
passionate service,  yet  there  are  still 
many  who  are  sick  or  lonely  or  in  need 
of  comfort  who  are  not  reached.  We 
all  should  be  seeking  for  opportunities 
to  give  aid  and  comfort  to  the  needy 
among  us.  We  should  not  neglect  this 
duty  and  opportunity  in  order  to  engage 
ourselves  in  seeking  only  after  our  own 
selfish  worldly  pleasures  and  material 
gain. 

Too  often  we  excuse  ourselves  from 
religious  activity,  which  includes  both 
showing  love  for  our  neighbors  and 
regular  church  attendance,  by  com- 
paring our  activities  with  those  of 
others,  and  by  saying  we  are  doing  just 
as  much  as  they,  or  we  are  no  worse 
than  they.  Some  say:  "I  don't  go  to 
church  because  I  don't  want  to  be  a 
hypocrite,  as  he  is.  I  can  be  religious 
without  going  to  church.  I  can  worship 
God  on  the  lake  or  in  the  mountains, 
communing  with  nature." 

Hear  what  the  Lord  has  said: 

"And  that  thou  mayest  more  fully 
keep  thyself  unspotted  from  the  world, 
thou  shalt  go  to  the  house  of  prayer 


32 


and  offer  up  thy  sacraments  upon  my 
holy  day; 

"For  verily  this  is  a  day  appointed 
unto  you  to  rest  from  your  labors,  and 
to  pay  thy  devotions  unto  the  Most 
High; 

"Nevertheless  thy  vows  shall  be  of- 
fered up  in  righteousness  on  all  days 
and  at  all  times."  (D&C  59:9-11.) 

We  cannot  choose  which  part  of  the 
gospel  we  think  is  true  or  which  part 
we  should  live.  We  cannot  compart- 
mentalize our  lives.  As  the  Savior  said: 
".  .  .  these  ought  ye  to  have  done,  and 
not  to  leave  the  other  undone."  (Matt. 
23:23.)  We  must  be  Christians  in  very 
deed,  and  by  our  lives  show  our  love 
for  the  Lord,  our  God,  and  show  love 
for  and  be  interested  in  one  another. 
We,  you  and  I,  must  put  our  personal 
houses  in  order.  We  must  not  be 
hypocrites. 


Harry  Emerson  Fosdick  observed 
that  there  are  two  kinds  of  hypocrisy: 
when  we  try  to  appear  better  than  we 
are,  and  when  we  let  ourselves  appear 
worse  than  we  are.  We  have  been 
speaking  of  the  kind  of  hypocrisy 
where  people  pretend  to  be  more  or 
better  than  they  are.  Too  often,  how- 
ever, we  see  members  of  the  Church 
who  in  their  hearts  know  and  believe, 
but  through  fear  of  public  opinion  fail 
to  stand  up  and  be  counted.  This  kind 
of  hypocrisy  is  as  serious  as  the  other; 
it  makes  it  difficult  for  others  to 
respect  us,  and  often  adversely  affects 
or  influences  the  lives  of  other  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  who  expect  us  to 
stand  by  our  commitments  to  the 
Church  and  not  hesitate  to  manifest 
our  faith. 

Only  when  we  are  seriously  striving 
to  live  the  teachings  of  Christ  can  we 


make  any  real  spiritual  progress.  We 
must  not  fear,  wherever  we  are,  to  live 
up  to  our  convictions  and  to  the 
standards  of  the  Church.  People, 
though  they  may  criticize  and  ridicule, 
expect  us  to  and  respect  us  if  we  do. 
Living  high  standards  cannot  offend 
conscientious,  fair-minded  people. 

Not  long  ago  I  was  talking  to  a 
father  and  mother  and  their  little  boy 
who  were  converts  of  not  many  months. 
During  our  conversation  the  father  said 
they  had  become  inactive  and  were 
not  attending  church,  and  I  asked  them 
why.  He  explained  that  the  mission- 
aries were  such  fine  examples  of  good 
and  clean-living,  righteous  people;  but 
when  they  came  to  the  ward  they  found 
so  many  people  who  were  not  living 
what  the  Church  teaches,  or  what  they 
professed  to  be,  and  as  a  result  they 
became  discouraged  and  lost  faith  in 


Era,  December  1970    33 


.*€*<    ■ 


THE  TROUBLE  WITH 
OUR  FOOD  RE9ERVE  19 
NOBODY  CAN  KEEP  IT. 


NITED  COMMODITIES  INTERNATIONAL 
L  SAM- ANDY  FOOD  DIVISION 


*a 

•— 

SfeiJ^j?" 

i  """irii 

vL 

=r- 

ill 

Don't  get  us  wrong  our  food  can  be  stored.  It's  just 
that  once  people  try  it  they  love  it  and  use  it  every  day. 

That's    why    we   adopted    the  trade  mark  of  the 
cornucopia   (of  cans  and  containers)   pouring  out  lus 
cious  prepared  food. 

Take  Mrs.  Sampson's  blueberry  cookies  (pictured). 
Last  week  she  was  making  some  to  send  to  her  son  who 
is  on  a  mission.  Well,  he  finally  got  his  share  but  only 
after  the  rest  of  the  family,  including  Dad,  had  con 
sumed  over  100  cookies. 

We  use  the  most  advanced  technogenic  cans,  coat 
the  inside  with  enamel  and  create  a  stabilized  storage 
atmosphere.  Everything  possible  has  been  done  to  insure 
that  our  food  could  be  stored  for  long  periods  of  time. 

However,  we  also  use  the  finest  naturally  produced 
foods  and  that's  why  people  seem  to  eat  our  food  rather 
than  store  it.  The  simple  facts  are  these,  our  food  is  not 
only  less  expensive  to  use  in  daily  meals,  it  is  also  the 
best  food  you  can  get. 

If  you  want  a  food  reserve  to  keep,  then  buy  one 
of  ours,  but  don't  try  it. 


UCI     MINI-MOISTURE  FOOD 
SO  GOOD  YOU  CANT  STORE  IT. 


:£&$££» 


For  Information  Write  To:    UNITED  COMMODITIES  INTERNATIONAL 
BOX  2125,  BEAUMONT,  CALIFORNIA  92223 


the  Church.  I  think  this  gives  us  two 
very  important  lessons:  First,  it  is  our 
responsibility  to  live  so  that  we  will 
influence  the  lives  of  people  for  good 
and  that  we  will  never  cause  doubt  in 
their  minds  because  of  hypocrisy  in 
our  own  lives. 

The  other  lesson  is  that  we  should 
always  guard  against  letting  hypocrisy 
in  the  lives  of  others  influence  our  lives 
or  cause  us  to  doubt  and  fail  to  live 
according  to  the  teachings  of  the  gospel. 

It  is  most  important  that  we  as 
members  of  the  Church  stand  firmly 
and  unitedly  in  the  cause  of  truth  and 
righteousness.  We  have  declared  to 
the  world  that  we  have  the  gospel  of 
Christ,  that  we  are  going  to  stand 
against  vice.  Shall  we  stand  firm,  or 
shall  we  waver  and  be  driven  by  the 
wind  and  tossed?  Shall  we  forsake  the 
cause  of  righteousness  in  order  to  please 
men,    because   we   desire   to   give   lip 


service  rather  than  heart  service,  or  be- 
cause of  some  political  power  that  is 
brought  to  bear  upon  us? 

We  must  not  be  like  those  to  whom 
John  referred  when  he  said:  "Neverthe- 
less among  the  chief  rulers  also  many 
believed  on  him;  but  because  of  the 
Pharisees  they  did  not  confess  him,  .  .  . 

"For  they  loved  the  praise  of  men 
more  than  the  praise  of  God."  (John 
12:42-43.) 

Imagine  the  great  influence  the 
Church,  with  its  approximately  three 
million  members,  could  have  upon  the 
world  if  each  of  us  would  be  what  we 
profess  to  be;  if  everyone  were  a  real, 
truly  dedicated  Christian,  living  every 
day  and  not  pretending;  if  we  were 
honest,  true,  chaste,  benevolent,  virtu- 
ous, doing  good  to  all  men,  and  always 
seeking  for  things  virtuous,  lovely,  or 
of  good  report  and  praiseworthy. 

Let  us  listen  to  the  prophets  and  live 


by  their  words.  Let  us  not  be  guilty, 
as  were  the  scribes  and  Pharisees  of 
old,  of  increasing  the  agony  of  our 
Savior  by  rejecting  him  and  his  teach- 
ings, which  he  gave  to  us,  together 
with  his  life,  that  we  might  have  hap- 
piness here  and  eternal  life  hereafter. 
Let  us  not  find  ourselves  in  the  condi- 
tion which  he  describes  as  he  concludes 
his  chastisement  of  the  hypocrites: 

"Behold,  your  house  is  left  unto  you 
desolate. 

"For  I  say  unto  you,  Ye  shall  not  see 
me  henceforth,  till  ye  shall  say,  Blessed 
is  he  that  cometh  in  the  name  of  the 
Lord."  (Matt.  23:38-39.) 

I  bear  testimony  that  God  lives;  that 
Jesus  is  the  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  living 
God;  that  the  gospel  has  been  restored; 
and  that  by  living  its  teachings  we  will 
gain  eternal  life,  for  which  I  humbly 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  My  dear  brothers  and  sisters:  I  hope 
that  what  I  might  say  will  be  in  keep- 
ing with  the  spirit  of  this  conference. 

Recently  I  was  perusing  a  newspaper 
and  observed  a  column  entitled  "Lost 
and  Found."  Some  of  the  lost  items 
seemed  particularly  valuable,  and  un- 
doubtedly those  of  less  monetary  value 
would  have  sentimental  significance  to 
the  owner.  One  notice  read  as  follows: 
"Lost — in  local  department  store, 
folder  containing  photos  of  a  little  boy 
and  girl.  Cannot  be  replaced.  Re- 
ward." 

"Cannot  be  replaced."  It  might  have 
been  that  the  little  boy  and  girl  had 
grown  up  and  left  home,  and  these 
photos  were  precious  memories  of  their 
childhood.  To  the  owner  they  are 
priceless.   It  occurred  to  me  that  many 


people  would  be  made  very  happy  if 
all  the  items  listed  as  "lost"  could  be 
transferred  to  the  "found"  list. 

In  a  very  real  way  there  are  not  only 
valuable  items  lost,  but,  of  far  greater 
value,  lives  that  become  lost — men  and 
women  and  young  people  whose  lives 
have  been  caught  in  the  current  maze 
of  political  economics  and  social  strife 
that  is  causing  crosscurrents  of  con- 
fusion, neglect,  apathy,  permissiveness, 
and  wrongdoing. 

In  our  office,  we  frequently  receive 
letters  from  bishops  and  parents  in 
various  parts  of  the  country  asking  for 
help  in  locating  a  teenager  who  has 
left  home.  These  letters  tear  at  our 
emotions  as  we  share  the  feelings  of 
parents  in  their  great  concern  for  the 
welfare  of  their  son  or  daughter. 


Notices  are  sent  to  all  the  wards, 
containing  pictures  and  descriptions  of 
these  young  people,  with  the  hope  that 
they  may  be  located  and  persuaded  to 
return  home.  We  usually  hear  nothing 
more,  and  we  wonder  if  these  "lost" 
young  people  are  ever  found,  for  we 
know  they  "cannot  be  replaced." 

We  hope  that  in  all  cases  they  "come 
to  themselves"  or  "find"  themselves 
and  return  home,  as  did  the  prodigal 
son  who  took  his  inheritance  and  went 
to  a  far  country  and  spent  it  in  riotous 
living. 

And  we  hope  also  that  when  and  if 
they  do  return,  they  will  receive  the 
kind  of  welcome  described  in  the 
parable  Jesus  taught.  For  this  father, 
ever  praying  and  ever  watching,  saw  his 
son  from  a  great  way  off  and  had  corn- 


Era,  December  1970    35 


passion,  and  ran  and  fell  on  his  neck 
and  kissed  him.  It  is  hoped  also  that 
those  who  return  are  as  penitent  as 
was  the  son  when  he  said  to  his  father, 
'I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in 
thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to 
be  called  thy  son,"  and  that  parents 
are  as  loving  and  as  forgiving  as 
the  father  who  said  to  his  servants, 
"Bring  forth  the  best  robe,  and  put  it 
on  him;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand, 
and  shoes  on  his  feet: 

"And  bring  hither  the  fatted  calf, 
and  kill  it,  and  let  us  eat,  and  be 
merry: 

"For  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is 
alive  again;  he  was  lost,  and  is 
found "  (Luke  15:21-24.) 

I  imagine  this  son  was  a  sorry  sight 
after  what  he  had  been  through,  hav- 
ing just  left  a  job  as  a  swineherd,  but 
his  rather  did  not  treat  him  like  the 
vagrant  he  appeared  to  be.  He  put  the 
best  robe  upon  him  and  treated  him 
like  a  prince.  Do  you  suppose  this 
made  any  difference  in  the  way  the  son 
reacted?  Do  you  believe  the  statement 
of  the  German  dramatist  Goethe  when 
he  said:  "If  you  treat  a  man  as  he  is 
he  will  stay  as  he  is,  but  if  you  treat 
him  as  if  he  were  what  he  ought  to  be, 
and  could  be,  he  will  be  that  bigger 
and  better  man." 

From  the  teachings  of  the  Savior  we 
know  that  he  was  greatly  concerned 
with  those  who  were  lost. 

You  will  remember  the  story  of 
Lazarus,  the  brother  of  Mary  and 
Martha.  When  Jesus  received  the  mes- 
sage, "Lord,  behold,  he  whom  thou 
lovest  is  sick,"  he  stated,  "This  sick- 
ness is  not  unto  death,  but  for  the  glory 
of  God,  that  the  Son  of  God  might  be 
glorified  thereby." 

Nevertheless,  Lazarus  died,  and  Jesus 
knew  he  was  dead;  yet  he  tarried  for 
two  days  where  he  was  before  saying 
to  his  apostles,  "Let  us  go  into  Judea 
again."  Apparently  astonished,  they 
tried  to  dissuade  the  Master,  saying, 
".  .  .  the  Jews  of  late  sought  to  stone 
thee;  and  goest  thou  thither  again?" 
Then,  in  his  teaching  wisdom,  Jesus 
answered,  "Are  there  not  twelve  hours 
in  the  day?  If  any  man  walk  in  the 
day,  he  stumbleth  not,  because  he  seeth 
the  light  of  this  world. 

"But  if  a  man  walk  in  the  night, 
he  stumbleth,  because  there  is  no  light 
in  him." 

Having  taught  his  disciples  that  he 
was  the  "light  and  life"  of  the  world, 
is  it  possible  that  he  was  teaching  them 
again  that,  regardless  of  whatever  ob- 
stacles might  present  themselves,  the 
real  purpose  of  his  gospel  and  of  their 
mission  was  to  bring  light  into  the  lives 
of  those  who  are  in  darkness,  that  they 
might  not  stumble?    Was  he  saying 


that  reclaiming  men  from  sin  and 
darkness  was  one  of  the  prime  purposes 
of  his  gospel? 

After  this  lesson,  Jesus  then  stated 
to  his  disciples:  "Our  friend  Lazarus 
sleepeth;  but  I  go,  that  I  may  awake 
him  out  of  sleep."  The  disciples  re- 
marked that  if  the  man  was  sleeping 
it  would  be  well  with  him.  Jesus  made 
it  plain  by  saying,  "Lazarus  is  dead." 

When  Jesus  arrived  on  the  outskirts 
of  the  town,  Martha  met  him,  saying, 
"Lord,  if  thou  hadst  been  here,  my 
brother  had  not  died."  And  when 
Jesus  told  her,  "Thy  brother  shall  rise 
again,"  Martha,  understanding  the 
meaning  of  the  resurrection,  answered, 
"I  know  that  he  shall  rise  again  in  the 
resurrection  at  the  last  day."  Then 
Jesus  said  to  her,  "I  am  the  resurrection, 
and  the  life:  he  that  believeth  in  me, 
though  he  were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live: 

"And  whosoever  liveth  and  believeth 
in  me  shall  never  die.  .  .  ." 

Having  asked  to  be  taken  to  the 
tomb,  Jesus  directed  that  it  be  opened, 
answering  the  objection  that  the  body 
had  lain  in  the  tomb  four  days  by 
saying,  "Said  I  not  unto  thee,  that,  if 
thou  wouldest  believe,  thou  shouldest 
see  the  glory  of  God?" 

The  stone  was  removed,  and  Jesus, 
standing  before  the  open  portal,  after 
praying  to  his  Father  in  heaven,  cried, 
"Lazarus,  come  forth."  (See  John  11:3- 
44.)  The  dead  man  heard  this  voice  of 
command,  and  Lazarus,  restored  to  life, 
came  forth.  He  came  forth  to  life  and 
light — to  the  light  of  this  world,  Jesus 
Christ — that  light  to  which  all  of  us 
are  entitled.  If  we  walk  in  that  light 
we  will  not  stumble.  Without  it  we 
will  stumble  in  darkness. 

A  number  of  years  ago  a  group  of 
Americans  stood  on  a  hilltop  in  north- 
ern France  looking  down  on  one  of  the 
old  cities  that  had  been  partially  de- 
stroyed during  the  war.  As  they 
watched,  they  saw  the  French  lamp- 
lighter begin  to  light  the  lamps  of  the 
city,  moving  from  one  to  another.  Some 
lamps  he  found  easy  to  light;  others 
needed  to  be  cleaned  or  adjusted  before 
the  light  came  forth.  The  old  lamp- 
lighter moved  from  one  side  of  the 
street  to  the  other,  performing  his  duty, 
and  finally  his  faithfulness  was  re- 
warded as  the  highway  was  lighted 
and  made  safe  for  the  traveler. 

So  does  Christ  light  the  way  for  all 
of  us,  that  we  may  not  stumble  in 
darkness  on  the  path  to  eternal  life. 
And  so  it  is  our  responsibility  to  light 
the  way  for  others. 

Some  of  these  young  people  about 
whom  the  bishops  write  may  be  like 
the  sheep  that  wandered  off  in  igno- 
rance, bewildered  in  the  darkness,  as 
the  rest  of  the  flock  returned  to  the 


fold.  But  the  good  shepherd  left  the 
ninety  and  nine  who  were  safe  and 
went  in  search  of  the  one  that  was 
lost  until  he  found  it.  This  parable 
shows  the  great  love  of  the  Master  for 
all  of  his  children,  for  Jesus  gave  it  in 
answer  to  the  criticism  of  the  Pharisees 
who  felt  that  he  should  not  associate 
with  the  publicans  and  sinners. 

Jesus  knew  the  status  of  these  so- 
called  "outcasts."  They  had  come  to 
him  as  he  supped.  They  knew  that  in 
him  they  had  a  friend  who  would  give 
them  courage  to  live  a  good  life. 

Someone  has  said,  "Some  men  die  at 
thirty  but  are  not  buried  until  they  are 
seventy,"  having  observed  that  when  a 
person  ceases  to  grow  in  knowledge, 
ceases  to  grow  in  spirit,  and  fails  to 
live  up  to  his  responsibilities,  he 
withers  and  dies,  even  though  he  still 
walks  upon  the  earth.  People  bring 
this  premature  death  upon  themselves 
by  their  own  attitudes,  as  a  self- 
inflicted  punishment  for  turning  away 
from  the  light  of  truth.  Jesus  may  have 
had  reference  to  these,  hoping  that 
they  might  change,  when  he  said:  ".  .  . 
he  that  believeth  in  me,  though  he 
were  dead,  yet  shall  he  live;  And  who- 
soever liveth  and  believeth  in  me 
shall  never  die "  (John  11:25-26.) 

The  Master  knows  that  even  men  in 
such  a  dormant  status,  more  dead  than 
alive,  can  be  changed,  and  so  he  pur- 
sues them  in  his  ever-loving,  ever- 
caring,  ever-forgiving  way. 

Just  as  he  organized  his  church  in  his 
day,  conferring  his  authority  upon  his 
brethren,  commanding  them  to  pursue 
the  salvation  of  mankind,  so  has  he 
in  these  latter  days  restored  his  church 
and  revealed  his  priesthood  and  com- 
missioned those  who  receive  the  priest- 
hood to  warn,  expound,  exhort,  teach, 
and  invite  all  to  come  unto  Christ. 
Then,  as  members  do  come  into  his 
church,  he  also  commissions  his  priest- 
hood to  visit  the  house  of  each  member, 
exhorting  them  to  pray  vocally  and  in 
secret  and  to  attend  to  all  family  duties. 
For  this  is  the  only  way  to  keep  his 
kingdom  strong.  His  charge  to  us  is  to 
be  with  and  strengthen  our  brethren. 

To  those  who  diligently  pursue  such 
a  course,  miracles  come  to  pass,  evi- 
denced by  testimonies  that  declare: 
"He  was  dead,  and  is  alive  again;  he 
was  lost,  and  is  found." 

So  wrote  one  sister :  She,  having  been 
born  and  raised  in  another  church, 
states  that  she  and  her  Mormon  hus- 
band lived  the  first  years  of  their 
marriage  without  any  religious  activity. 
One  evening  two  pleasant  fellows  ap- 
peared at  their  door  and  introduced 
themselves  as  home  teachers.  With 
little  encouragement,  they  kept  coming, 
month   after  month.    Then   the  hus- 


36 


band  began,  for  the  first  time,  to  read 
such  Church  books  as  he  had. 

The  sister  said  that  when  they  moved 
to  another  town  she  packed  the  books 
away  where  she  hoped  her  husband 
would  never  find  them  again.  Sure 
enough,  the  couple  again  forgot  about 
religion  until  other  home  teachers  ar- 
rived at  their  new  home. 

After  the  first  visit  of  these  new 
teachers,  her  husband  searched  for  his 
books  until  he  found  them.  The  sister 
states  that  the  one  teacher  was  so 
friendly  that  they  couldn't  help  liking 
him,  and  when  he  began  inviting  them 
to  church  affairs,  they  accepted  because 
he  seemed  to  really  want  them  there, 
and  they  didn't  want  to  disappoint 
him. 

"Finally,"  said  the  sister,  "after  call- 
ing for  many  months,  he  asked  if  he 
could  offer  a  prayer  in  our  home,  and 
we  didn't  know  how  to  refuse.  So  the 
first  prayer  ever  offered  in  our  home 
was  by  this  home  teacher. 

"About  this  time  our  teenage  son 
began  to  complain  at  being  sent  to 
my  church  while  neither  his  father  nor 


I  was  attending  church  ourselves.  So 
we  compromised  by  attending  the  Mor- 
mon Church  and  my  church  on  alter- 
nate Sundays. 

"Our  home  teachers  had  been  call- 
ing on  us  for  about  two  years  when 
they  asked  if  the  missionaries  might 
call.  (We  had  had  them  in  our  former 
town,  but  I  had  refused  to  listen  to 
them.)  This  time  I  agreed  to  hear  the 
missionaries  but  failed  to  make  any 
effort  to  listen  or  understand  and  re- 
fused to  read  any  of  the  material  that 
was  given  to  me.  After  the  fourth  call, 
the  missionaries  handed  me  more 
pamphlets  and  suggested  that  I  read 
fifty  more  pages  in  the  Book  of  Mormon 
(I  had  read  none  of  the  book  yet) ;  then 
one  of  them  said  good-naturedly,  'Now 
you  can  get  further  behind.' 

"Suddenly  I  was  ashamed  of  my 
attitude  and  determined  to  read  the 
entire  Book  of  Mormon  before  his  next 
visit.  I  carried  out  this  promise,  and 
when  the  missionaries  returned  I  told 
them  I  wanted  to  be  baptized."  As  a 
result  of  these  efforts  by  the  priesthood 
brethren,  the  family  was  unified  and  is 


now  enjoying  the  true  purpose  of  life 
in  harmony  with  the  principles  and 
teachings  of  the  gospel. 

Certainly  we  do  not  lack  for  oppor- 
tunities to  help  those  who  have  turned 
away  and  become  dormant.  Nor  do  we 
need  to  lack  courage  in  our  pursuit  as 
we  listen  to  the  words  of  the  Lord: 

"Verily  I  say,  men  should  be  anx- 
iously engaged  in  a  good  cause,  and  do 
many  things  of  their  own  free  will,  and 
bring  to  pass  much  righteousness; 

"For  the  power  is  in  them,  wherein 
they  are  agents  unto  themselves.  And 
inasmuch  as  men  do  good  they  shall  in 
nowise  lose  their  reward."  (D&C 
58:27-28.) 

No  obstacle  can  keep  a  faithful 
servant  from  his  blessing  as  he  brings 
light  into  the  life  of  his  brother  or 
sister,  for  the  blessing  is  this: 

"And  if  it  so  be  that  you  should  labor 
all  your  days  .  .  .  and  bring,  save  it  be 
one  soul  unto  me,  how  great  shall  be 
your  joy  with  him  in  the  kingdom  of 
my  Father!"  (D&C  18:15.) 

In     the     name     of     Jesus     Christ. 
Amen.  Q 


•  I  am  grateful  this  morning,  my 
brothers  and  sisters,  both  seen  and 
unseen,  for  the  message  of  our  great 
President,  for  his  challenge  to  us  to 
return  to  the  fundamentals.  I  thought, 
if  only  the  world  would  heed  his 
words  and  get  down  to  the  things  that 
matter  most. 

It  reminded  me  of  a  little  experi- 
ence I  had  recently  in  Vermont.  I 
was  attempting  to  find  a  shortcut  to 
the  little  town  of  Rutland,  and  I  took 
one  of  those  exciting  back-road  routes 
and  soon  became  hopelessly  lost.  I 
came  to  a  fork  in  the  road.  I  noticed 
a  farmer  standing  in  the  field,  so  I 
wound  down  the  window  and  I  asked, 
"Say,  fella,  does  it  matter  which  road 
I  take  to  Rutland?"  He  said,  "It 
doesn't  matter  to  me  at  all."  I  think 
sometimes  the  world  has  that  problem. 


In  the  upper  part  of  New  England 
we  sometimes  get  snowbound,  and 
once  after  a  rather  heavy  storm  I  fol- 
lowed a  snowplow  into  Saint  Johns- 
bury.  The  town  had  been  isolated 
some  eight  days.  Again,  I  was  lost.  In 
seeking  help  I  went  into  a  little  country 
store,  and  sitting  there  on  the  typical 
cracker  barrel  was  another  Vermonter. 
I  asked,  "Tell  me,  sir,  what  do  you  do 
all  winter  when  you  get  snowbound?" 
He  said,  "We  just  sit  and  think,  mostly 
sit." 

I  think  that  might  be  a  major  prob- 
lem in  the  world:  we  are  sitting  rather 
than  thinking  and  acting. 

I  am  grateful  for  the  opportunity  to 
greet  you  once  again  and  to  bring  spe- 
cial greetings  from  America's  birth- 
place, New  England.  It  is  wonderful 
to  see  the  mountains  of  the  West  and 


the  beauty  of  fall  as  it  unfolds  before 
us.   I  love  this  great  country. 

Fall  also  brings  the  crisp  days  and 
chilly  nights-  that  signal  the  start  of 
the  football  season.  Those  of  you  who 
take  an  active  interest  in  sports,  and 
know  of  football's  importance  in  turn- 
ing boys  into  men,  were  saddened  J 
recently  as  I  was  in  learning  of  the 
passing  of  that  great  football  coach  and 
builder  of  men,  Vince  Lombardi.  Here 
was  a  man  who  came  to  a  last-place 
team  comprised  of  men  who  had  for- 
gotten what  winning  was — a  team  with 
no  spirit,  no  confidence,  and  no  respect 
—and  in  three  short  years  he  turned 
them  into  a  team  of  world  champions. 
But  being  a  champion  once  didn't 
satisfy  Vince  Lombardi.  He  and  his 
team  went  on  to  win  again  and  again, 
game  after  game,  title  after  title.  The 


Era,  December  1970    37 


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Green  Bay  Packers  soon  became  the 
winningest  team  in  professional  foot- 
ball. Here  was  a  man  who  could  be  as 
mean  as  a  lion,  yet  gentle  as  a  lamb. 
A  man  who  said  God  and  family 
should  come  first.  A  man  who  taught 
that  not  only  physical  toughness  is 
important,  but  spiritual  and  mental 
toughness  are  also  essential  to  success, 
and  a  man  who  said  to  all  those  who 
have  problems  and  sometimes  get  dis- 
couraged, that  "winning  isn't  every- 
thing, but  wanting  to  win  is." 

I  submit  to  you  that  we  as  a  people, 
member  and  nonmember  alike,  can 
learn  some  meaningful  and  timely 
lessons  from  the  life  of  that  great  man. 

One  of  the  great  attributes  of  the 
Church  is  that  we  too  are  building 
men.  I  have  under  my  direction  in 
New  England  some  175  of  the  finest 
young  men  and  women  anywhere  in 
the  world.  I  have  great  faith  and 
confidence  in  them  and  the  things  they 
do.  We  appreciate  you  fine  parents 
who  sacrifice  so  that  your  sons  and 
daughters  can  fulfill  missions.  You  are 
doing  them  a  great  service,  and  you  in 
turn  are  being  blessed.  In  private  in- 
terview and  in  testimony  meetings, 
they  often  express  love  for  you  and  for 
their  families.  You  may  rest  assured 
they  are  very  happy. 

I  might  just  say  here  parenthetically 
that  one  of  the  challenges  of  a  mission 
president  is  to  keep  a  physical  balance 
in  missionaries  as  well  as  the  spiritual 
and  mental.  I  saw  two  of  my  assistants 
on  my  return  home,  and  I  noticed  they 
had  taken  off  about  thirty  pounds 
which  was  needed.  The  Saints  are  good 
to  them  in  the  field.  These  same  two 
assistants,  in  trying  to  help  a  little 
97-pound  weakling  put  on  a  little 
weight,  on  one  occasion  approached 
him  and  said,  "Elder,  it  looks  like 
you've  been  through  a  famine."  And 
this  sharp  little  elder  came  right  back 
and  said,  "And  you  two  look  like  you 
caused  it." 

Since  the  days  of  Joseph  Smith,  over 
seven  hundred  million  dollars  have 
been  spent  by  parents  to  send  their 
children  on  missions.  One  mother  re- 
cently said  to  me,  "I  agree  with  you, 
Brother  Dunn,  that  the  accent  is  on 
the  youth,  but  the  stress  is  still  on  the 
parents." 

Sister  Dunn  and  I  recently  visited 
with  a  Harvard  professor  and  his  wife 
who  had  had  some  contact  with  the 
Church  and  the  missionaries.  This 
learned  man,  holder  of  many  degrees, 
and  his  charming  wife  had  noted  some- 
thing special  in  these  two  young  men 
who  had  borne  their  testimonies  of  the 
reality  of  God,  the  divinity  of  Christ, 
and  of  the  restoration  of  the  Church 
in  these  latter  days.  As  we  spoke,  this 
professor  said,  "Mr.  Dunn,  what  is  it 
that   gives  these  young   men   such   a 


38 


strong  conviction?  What  is  this  mis- 
sionary work  really  doing  for  people? 
What  motivates  them  to  give  up  two 
years  of  their  lives?  Why  do  you  go  to 
those  who  are  already  Christian? 
Wouldn't  two  years  of  college  be  of 
more  value?" 

To  answer  these  questions,  we  turn, 
as  do  all  missionaries,  to  the  scriptures, 
both  ancient  and  modern.  We  read, 
for  example,  in  Isaiah  and  Ephesians 
of  the  restoration  of  all  things.  We 
turned  to  Mark  and  read  the  words  of 
Jesus,  "Come  ye  after  me,  and  I  will 
make  you  to  become  fishers  of  men' 
(Mark  1:17),  and  "Go  ye  into  all  the 
world,  and  preach  the  gospel  to  every 
creature"  (Mark  16:15). 

As  the  evening  progressed,  Sister 
Dunn  and  I  were  able  to  explain  to 
this  couple  the  very  purpose  and  the 
fruits  of  missionary  work.  We  told 
them  that  a  mission  helps  a  young- 
man  to  find  out  who  he  really  is.  It 
helps  him  to  set  patterns,  attitudes, 
and  habits  that  will  carry  into  his 
adult  life.  I  just  personally  believe  it 
is  easier  to  build  a  boy  than  to  mend  a 
man.  We  told  them  that  for  our  young 
people  a  mission  is  life  in  miniature; 
it's  a  journey,  not  a  camp. 

We  answered  their  inquiry  when  we 
explained  to  them  the  visitation  of  the 
Father  and  the  Son  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  in  1820.  Although  we  realize 
the  great  good  that  other  churches  are 
doing  in  the  world,  the  Lord  said,  and 
I  remind  you:  ".  .  .  they  teach  for 
doctrines  the  commandments  of  men, 
having  a  form  of  godliness,  but  they 
deny  the  power  thereof."  (Joseph 
Smith  2:19.) 

A  mission  most  of  all  provides  the 
chance  for  people  to  accept  the  gospel 
and  to  take  upon  them  the  name  of 
Christ  through  faith,  repentance,  bap- 
tism, and  the  gift  of  the  Holy  Ghost. 
The  reason  we  go  to  those  who  are 
already  of  a  Christian  faith  is  because 
we  believe  that  the  was  in  Christianity 
still  is.  We  believe  that  Paul  on  the 
road  to  Damascus  is  no  different  from 
Joseph  Smith  in  the  grove — now  called 
sacred.   God  speaks  today! 

About  knowledge:  We  read  from 
Moses  that  "the  glory  of  God  is  intelli- 
gence." This  great  educator  was  much 
impressed  with  the  Mormon  philosophy 
of  education  that  includes  the  whole 
man.  College  and  money  are  impor- 
tant, and  I  don't  want  to  minimize 
them,  but  in  making  a  living  don't 
forget  to  make  a  life.  The  words  of  the 
Savior,  filled  with  truth  and  wisdom, 
sounded  again  as  we  read,  ".  .  .  what 
shall  it  profit  a  man,  if  he  shall  gain 
the  whole  world,  and  lose  his  own 
soul?"  (Mark  8:36.)  A  mission  teaches 
that  spirituality  is  important. 

I  related  to  this  educator  and  his 
fine  wife  how  acceptance  of  the  gospel 


Era,  December  1970    39 


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1  #10  apple  nuggets  145   Vi  cup  servings 

1  #  10  fruit  galaxy  100   V5  cup  servings 

1  #10  prunes,  whole  pitted  70   Va  cup  servings 

Total  3 1  5  servings 


Vegetable  Group 

1  #1  0  potato  granulated 
1  #  1  0  vegetable  stew  blend 
1  #10  tomato  crystals 
1  #  1 0  green  peas 
1  #  10  sliced  carrots 


Dairy  Group 

5  #  10  milk,  regular 
Protein  Group 

1  #10  eggs,  whole  solids 

2  #10  beans,  dry 

1   #  10  beef  vegetable  protein 
1   #10  ham  flavored  vegetable 

protein 
1   #10  green  split-peas 


160 
75 
80 
80 
93 
Total  488  servings 

non-fat  3Va  quarts  per  day 


Vi  cup  servings 
Vi  cup  servings 
Vi  cup  servings 
Vi  cup  servingSj 
Vi  cup  serv. 


2  egg  servings 
Vi  cup  servings 

3  oz.  servings 

3  oz.  servings 
Vi  cup  servings 


Grain  Group 

1  4  #  1 0  wheat,  whole  kernel 
2  #10  oats,  rolled 
quick  cooking 
1  #  1  0  rice,  white  whole  gram 
1  #10  macaroni,  elbow 


Total  274  servings 

42.9  oz.  per  day 


1  20  Vi  cup  servings 
93  Vi  cup  servings 
6  1    Vi  cup  servings 


Total  274  servings,  plus  wheat 
Supplements 

3  #  1 0  sugar,  white,  granulated     9 . 6  oz.  per  day 

1  #10  salt,  iodized. 

2  1  1  Vi  oz.  bacon  flavored  zips  for  flavor 
1   24  oz.  baking  powder 

Explanation:  This  unit  provides  sufficient 
food  for  a  family  of  5  which  includes  (each 
person)  2  servings  of  fruit  per  day;  3  servings 
vegetables  per  day;  2  8-oz.  servings  milk  per 
day  for  parents;  3  8-oz.  servings  milk  per 
day  for  children;  2  servings  of  protein  foods 
per  day  (in  addition  to  the  milk);  10  ozs. 
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and  the  way  of  life  can  provide  the 
opportunity  for  people  to  change  atti- 
tudes, and  thus  their  lives. 

During  the  past  year  I  have  watched 
one  of  society's  outcasts,  an  ex-convict, 
rise  from  the  depths  of  a  prison  cell  to 
become  a  responsible  citizen,  a  worthy 
Latter-day  Saint.  This  man's  life  was 
changed  because  two  of  our  mission- 
aries brought  him  a  message  of  hope 
and  of  salvation.  He  had  thought 
because  of  his  past  all  was  lost  and 
his  chance  had  passed.  But  these  two 
young  elders  brought  him  the  gospel 
and  a  new  way  of  life. 

Unfortunately  there  are  some  in  this 
world  who  continue  to  ignore  or  in- 
validate the  principle  of  true  repen- 
tance and  say,  "Once  a  thief,  always 
a  thief,"  or  "Leopards  don't  change 
their  spots."  Need  I  remind  you  who 
say  such  things  that  we  don't  work  with 
leopards;  we  work  with  men,  and  men 
change  every  day. 

Our  missionaries  knock  on  each  door 
knowing  and  believing  that  a  basic 
premise  of  this  church  is  that  when 
men  and  women  are  motivated  by  the 
proper  spirit,  they  can  and  do  change 
their  lives. 

Only  a  few  short  years  ago  President 
McKay  stood  at  this  very  pulpit  and 
said  that  the  purpose  of  the  gospel  was 
to  make  bad  men  good  and  good  men 
better.  This  same  young  man  whose 
life  was  once  tattered  and  scarred  with 
sin  sat  in  our  living  room  just  a  few 
days  ago  and  said,  "Brother  Dunn,  I 


thank  God  every  day  for  the  elders  who 
brought  me  the  gospel  and  had  the 
patience  to  teach  me.  I  know  the 
gospel  is  true  for  I  have  lived  it;  and 
although  I'm  not  what  I  ought  to  be, 
and  I'm  not  what  I'm  going  to  be,  I  am 
not  what  I  was." 

Such  are  the  fruits  of  missionary 
work.  Again  the  words  of  the  Savior 
ring  through  the  ages  to  the  convert, 
to  the  missionaries,  to  the  college  pro- 
fessor, to  you,  and  to  me.  It  was  Jesus 
who  said  that  when  we  lose  ourselves 
in  the  service  of  others,  then,  and  only 
then,  can  we  find  ourselves  and  possess 
true  joy  and  happiness.  Gratitude,  is 
the  memory  of  the  heart,  and  if  a  mis- 
sionary did  no  more  than  to  help  one 
convert  like  this  catch  the  vision  of  the 
gospel,  his  two  years  would  be  well 
spent. 

The  Lord  told  us  that  if  we  labor 
all  our  days  and  bring  save  it  be  one 
soul  to  him,  great  shall  be  our  joy 
with  him  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Father. 

As  the  evening  passed,  Sister  Dunn 
and  I  gave  this  couple  from  Cambridge 
a  brief  history  of  the  missionary  system 
of  the  Church.  We  told  them  of  the 
day  when  Parley  P.  Pratt  stood  in  a 
river  for  six  hours,  baptizing  people 
one  after  the  other.  We  told  them  how 
Wilford  Woodruff  converted  1800 
people  in  eight  months.  We  reviewed 
the  proselyting  program  of  the  Church 
from  Samuel  Smith  in  1831  up  to 
1970,  and  we  noted  that  close  to  one 
thousand  of  their  New  England  neigh- 


bors would  join  the  Church  this  year. 

The  visit  ended.  We  closed  with  our 
personal  testimony  and  extended  an 
invitation  to  this  couple  to  come  join 
with  us.  What  a  spiritual  thrill  to  see 
distinguished,  capable,  academic  giants 
humble  themselves  before  the  Master 
and  accept  his  simple  gospel  teachings. 
Yes,  missionary  work  is  a  calling  in 
which  one  may  find  many  rewards,  for 
true  joy  comes  in  giving  and  teaching 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

The  first  prophet  of  this  dispensa- 
tion, Joseph  Smith,  who  lived  and  died 
a  missionary,  gave  us  his  summary  of 
the  importance  of  this  work  when  he 
penned  the  following  to  John  Went- 
worth:  "Our  missionaries  are  going 
forth  to  different  nations,  and  in  Ger- 
many, Palestine,  New  Holland,  Aus- 
tralia, the  East  Indies,  and  other 
places,  the  Standard  of  Truth  has  been 
erected;  no  unhallowed  hand  can  stop 
the  work  from  progressing;  persecutions 
may  rage,  mobs  may  combine,  armies 
may  assemble,  calumny  may  defame, 
but  the  truth  of  God  will  go  forth 
boldly,  nobly,  and  independent,  till  it 
has  penetrated  every  continent,  visited 
every  clime,  swept  every  country,  and 
sounded  in  every  ear,  till  the  purposes 
of  God  shall  be  accomplished,  and  the 
Great  Jehovah  shall  say  the  work  is 
done."  (Documentary  History  of  the 
Church,  vol.  4,  p.  540.)  To  this  I 
testify  as  I  bear  my  solemn  witness  to 
the  work,  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  If  you  want  to  get  the  most  out  of 
this  life — or  as  a  result  of  this  life — 
you  need  to  know  first  the  purpose  for 
which  this  earth  was  created  and  why 
we  are  here. 

The  Lord  revealed  to  Abraham,  in 
vision,  the  council  of  the  Gods  con- 
templating the  creation  of  this  earth, 
and  God  said: 

"We  will  go  down,  for  there  is  space 
there,  and  we  will  take  of  these  ma- 


terials, and  we  will  make  an  earth 
whereon  these  may  dwell; 

"And  we  will  prove  them  herewith, 
to  see  if  they  will  do  all  things  what- 
soever the  Lord  their  God  shall  com- 
mand them; 

"And  they  who  keep  their  first  estate 
shall  be  added  upon;  and  they  who 
keep  not  their  first  estate  shall  not  have 
glory  in  the  same  kingdom  with  those 
who  keep  their  first  estate;  and  they 


who  keep  their  second  estate  shall  have 
glory  added  upon  their  heads  for  ever 
and  ever."  (Abr.  3:24-26.) 

This  is  a  concise  statement  of  the 
primary  purpose  for  this  earth. 

To  "prove  them  herewith":  That 
means  to  test  us,  to  see  if  we  will  do  all 
things  whatsoever  the  Lord  our  God 
shall  command  us. 

No  wonder  the  law  of  obedience  is 
called  the  first  law  of  heaven.    In  1 


Era,  December  1970    41 


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Samuel  15:22,  we  read,  obedience  is 
better  than  sacrifice.  All  the  bless- 
ings and  benefits  of  sacrifice  come  as 
a  result  of  obedience. 

The  first  law  taught  to  Adam  and 
Eve  was  the  law  of  obedience.  After 
they  were  driven  from  the  Garden  of 
Eden,  Adam  built  an  altar  and  offered 
sacrifice.  An  angel  of  the  Lord  ap- 
peared to  him  and  asked  why  he  was 
offering  sacrifice,  and  he  answered,  "I 
know  not,  save  the  Lord  commanded 
me."  (Moses  5:6.) 

Then  the  angel  taught  him  why, 
saying  that  "this  thing  is  a  similitude 
of  the  sacrifice  of  the  Only  Begotten 
of  the  Father,  which  is  full  of  grace 
and  truth."  (Moses  5:7.) 

Often  commandments  are  given 
without  our  knowing  why;  then  the 
reasons  come  later.    ■ 

We  are  too  often  afraid  of  what  is 
called  blind  obedience,  but  obedience 
to  God  is  always  right — blind  or  other- 
wise. To  Abraham  the  Lord  said: 

"And  in  thy  seed  shall  all  the  na- 
tions of  the  earth  be  blessed;  because 
thou  hast  obeyed  my  voice."  (Gen. 
22:18.) 

In  Deuteronomy  the  Lord  said: 

"Behold,  I  set  before  you  this  day  a 
blessing  and  a  curse; 

"A  blessing,  if  ye  obey  the  command- 
ments of  the  Lord  your  God,  .  .  . 

"And  a  curse,  if  ye  will  not  obey  the 
commandments.  .  . ."  (Deut.  11:26-28.) 

Paul  declared  to  the  Hebrews,  speak- 
ing of  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  God, 
"Though  he  were  a  Son,  yet  learned 
he  obedience  by  the  things  which  he 
suffered."  (Heb.  5:8.) 

If  it  was  necessary  for  Jesus,  the  Son 
of  God,  to  learn  obedience,  then  how 
much  more  is  it  necessary  for  us? 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  has  said: 

"There  is  a  law,  irrevocably  decreed 
in  heaven  before  the  foundations  of 
this  world,  upon  which  all  blessings 
are  predicated — 

"And  when  we  obtain  any  blessing 
from  God,  it  is  by  obedience  to  that 
law  upon  which  it  is  predicated."  (D&C 
130:20-21.) 

We  have  several  laws  given  to  us 
today  that  are  opportunities  for  us  to 
express  in  outward  evidences  that  we 
desire  to  be  obedient  to  the  laws  of 
God.  To  name  a  few: 

We  have  tithes  and  offerings  and 
the  Sabbath  day.  I  don't  know  why  we 
should  need  legislation  to  force  us  to 
keep  the  Sabbath  day  holy. 

Also,  we  are  commanded  to  attend 
sacrament  meetings,  and  there  are  other 
outward  evidences. 

The  Lord  has  also  said: 

"And  all  saints  who  remember  to 
keep  and  do  these  sayings,  walking  in 
obedience  to  the  commandments.  .  .  ." 
(D&C  89:18.) 


42 


This  means  all  the  commandments, 
including  tithes  and  offerings,  Sabbath 
day,  sacrament  meetings,  etc.  Then  he 
adds  the  promise  of  the  blessings  of 
health,  then  adds  this  promise:  "And 
shall  find  wisdom  and  great  treasures 
of  knowledge,  even  hidden  treasures." 
(D&C  89:19.) 

What  is  a  more  "hidden  treasure" 
than  a  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ?  This  comes  as 
a  result  of  obedience  to  the  laws  of 
God,  not  just  because  we  have  good 
health.  I  have  heard  many  converts 
tell  how  they  learned  to  live  the  Word 
of  Wisdom  to  join  the  Church.  Good 
health  is  not  a  requirement  to  join  the 
Church.  Obedience  is.  Each  one  has 
said  if  that's  what  the  Lord  wanted, 
he  would  do  it. 

The  next  step  is  natural :  If  you  want 
to  do  what  the  Lord  wants,  then  you 
must  pray  to  him  for  help.  It  is  not 
easy  to  change  these  habits;  one  needs 
the  help  of  the  Lord.  After  praying  for 
help,  it  becomes  much  easier. 

Two  things  naturally  follow:  One 
loses  the  taste  or  desire  for  the  tobacco, 
or  coffee  or  other  habits.  Also,  he  gets 
a  testimony  of  the  divinity  of  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ. 

A  classic  and  typical  example  is 
found  in  the  current  September  issue 
of  The  Instructor.  Marion  Proctor  and 
his  wife,  as  investigators,  had  just  been 
shocked  with  the  law  of  the  tithe  and 
the  Word  of  Wisdom. 

"...  I  hope  you  can  appreciate  what 
a  shock  this  was,  especially  to  a  Scots- 
man. At  first  we  said,  'No,  we  can't 
pay  ten  percent  of  our  income.'  The 
elders  then  promised  us  that  we  would 
be  blessed  by  the  Lord  if  we  would  do 
so.  I  thought  this  over  for  a  couple  of 
minutes,  and  told  them  we  would  pay 
tithing. 

"My  wife  slept  well  that  night,  but 
I  couldn't  sleep.  I  tossed  and  turned, 
thinking  about  my  telling  the  mission- 
aries I  couldn't  stop  smoking  right 
there  and  then,  but  would  have  to 
wait  until  the  next  night.  I  got  up  and 
went  into  the  living  room  and  knelt  in 
prayer,  and  I  talked  to  my  Father  in 
heaven.  I  asked  him  to  give  me  help, 
to  give  me  strength,  to  take  away  my 
craving  for  cigarettes,  so  that  I  could 
be  baptized  and  enter  His  kingdom.  I 
had  tried  to  give  up  smoking  on  several 
previous  occasions — even  to  the  point 
of  sending  away  for  a  smoker's  cure — 
but  had  not  been  successful.  As  I  knelt 
in  prayer  that  night,  however,  I  felt 
with  all  my  heart  that  my  Father  in 
heaven  would  help  me.  I  heard  a  voice 
say  to  me,  'Do  not  wait  until  tomor- 
row, but  give  up  the  smoking  habit 
now.  I  will  help  you  in  every  way,  and 
you  will  be  successful  in  giving  up 
tobacco.'    I  felt  joy  and  peace  in  my 


heart  as  I  arose  from  my  knees. 

"The  next  morning  before  I  went  to 
work,  I  looked  at  my  tobacco  and  told 
myself  I  would  leave  it  there  and  not 
smoke.  When  I  came  home  I  threw  it 
in  the  fire.  And  since  that  time  I  have 
not  had  any  desire  to  use  tobacco." 
("Halfway  Around  the  World,"  In- 
structor, September  1970,  pp.  331-32.) 

Then  his  wife  tells  a  similar  story  of 
her  experiences.  I  have  heard  hundreds 
of  similar  stories. 

I'll  never  forget  the  two  elderly  sisters 
from  down  in  the  southern  states — both 
widows.  The  older  sister  told  me  that 
when  the  missionaries  told  them  of  the 
Word  of  Wisdom,  they  gave  it  some 
serious  thought.  She  asked  some  of 
her  friends  what  they  thought  about  her 
quitting.  She  had  used  tobacco  all 
her  life.  They  told  her  it  was  foolish  at 
her  age — in  the  mid-80s.  She  then 
asked  her  doctor.  He  warned  her  that 
she  couldn't  stand  the  shock — it  might 
even  be  the  end  of  her. 

Then  she  said  she  started  to  reason: 
"I  am  over  80 — I  don't  know  how  much 
longer  I  can  live  anyway.  I  need  to 
prepare  to  meet  my  Maker.  If  I  try, 
and  I  die  in  the  attempt,  I  can  say  to 
my  Maker,  'I  was  trying  to  do  what  I 
thought  you  wanted  me  to  do.'  " 

Any  way  she  looked  at  it  she  was 
doing  what  she  thought  "He"  would 
want  her  to  do,  literally  putting  her 
life  in  the  balance. 

She  quit  and  waited  for  something 
to  happen — which  didn't.    Instead  of 


its  hurting  her,  she  noticed  that  she  was 
feeling  better  all  the  time. 

She  told  her  sister  what  had  hap- 
pened to  her,  and  her  sister  said,  "If 
you  can  do  it,  I  can.  You  wait  for  me 
and  we'll  both  join  this  church." 

A  year  later  they  came  to  my  office 
and  told  me  their  story.  Each  had  been 
to  the  temple  and  been  sealed  to  her 
husband. 

Though  they  were  in  their  upper  80s, 
they  had  not  only  gained  the  blessings 
of  health  promised,  but  had  gained  the 
blessings  of  eternal  sealings  for  ever 
and  ever. 

Do  you  think  the  blessings  for  living 
the  Word  of  Wisdom  are  just  health 
blessings?  If  you  keep  the  Word  of 
Wisdom  you  will  be  obedient  to  all  the 
laws,  including  tithing,  keeping  the 
Sabbath  day  holy,  and  loving  your 
fellowmen.  The  Savior  has  said:  "You 
shall  have  glory  added  upon  your  head 
for  ever  and  ever." 

When  Jesus  was  asked  by  the  lawyer, 
"Master,  which  is  the  great  command- 
ment in  the  law? 

"Jesus  said  unto  him,  Thou  shalt 
love  the  Lord  thy  God  with  all  thy 
heart,  and  with  all  thy  soul,  and  with 
all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  com- 
mandment. 

"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

"On  these  two  commandments  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  (Matt. 
22:36-40.) 


What  a  different  world  this  would 
be,  if  we  all  heeded  this  counsel. 

I  like  this  statement  by  President 
George  Albert  Smith.   He  said: 

".  .  .  When  I  was  a  child  I  recog- 
nized, or  thought  I  did,  that  the  com- 
mandments of  the  Lord  were  His  laws 
and  regulations  for  my  guidance.  I 
thought  I  recognized  in  the  disobedi- 
ence to  those  laws  that  punishment 
would  follow,  and  as  a  child,  I  presume 
I  may  have  felt  that  the  Lord  had  so 
arranged  affairs  and  so  ordained  mat- 
ters in  this  life  that  I  must  obey  certain 
laws  or  swift  retribution  would  follow. 
But  as  I  grew  older  I  have  learned  the 
lesson  from  another  viewpoint,  and 
now  to  me  the  laws  of  the  Lord, 
so  called,  the  counsels  contained  in 
the  Holy  Scriptures,  the  revelations 
of  the  Lord  to  us  in  this  day  and  age  of 
the  world,  are  but  the  sweet  music 
of  the  voice  of  our  Father  in  heaven,  in 
His  mercy  to  us.  They  are  but  the 
advice  and  counsel  of  a  loving  parent, 
who  is  more  concerned  in  our  welfare 
than  earthly  parents  can  be,  and  conse- 
quently that  which  at  one  time  seemed 
to  bear  the  harsh  name  of  law  to  me  is 
now  the  loving  and  tender  advice  of  an 
all-wise  heavenly  Father."  (Conference 
Report,  October  1911,  pp.  43-44.) 

The  Savior  said,  on  another  occasion, 
"If  ye  love  me,  keep  my  command- 
ments." (John  14:15.)  May  we  all,  with 
all  our  efforts,  be  obedient  to  his  com- 
mandments, I  pray  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  Q 


•  We  are  privileged  to  live  in  a  beau- 
tiful world.  As  we  admire  its  majesties 
and  beauties,  with  man  as  its  final 
and  crowning  creation,  we  are  filled 
with  wonderment  and  awe.  Surely 
these  developments  did  not  come  about 


by  mere  chance,  but  must  be  the  re- 
sult of  the  handiwork  of  a  divine  and 
inspired   architect  and  creator. 

An  illustrious  biologist,  after  many 
years  of  study  and  meditation,  con- 
cluded   that   "the   probability   of   life 


originating  from  accident  is  comparable 
to  the  probability  of  the  Unabridged 
Dictionary  resulting  from  an  explosion 
in  a  printing  office."  (Professor  Edwin 
Conklin,  as  quoted  in  Reader's  Digest, 
April  1956.) 


Era,  December  1970    43 


We  are  torn  on  every  hand  by  man- 
made  intellectual  theories  and  doctrines. 
And  among  us  we  have  "doubting 
Thomases,"  who  lack  faith  and  who 
do  not  recognize  a  Heavenly  Being  as 
the  creator  of  all  these  wonders.  They 
cry  out,  "There  is  no  God,"  or  "God 
is  dead." 

Faithful  Latter-day  Saints  heartily 
disagree  with  these  extreme,  false,  un- 
true statements.  We  declare  to  the 
world  that  God  is  not  dead,  but  rather 
that  he  is  "the  beginning  and  the  end, 
the  same  which  looked  upon  the  wide 
expanse  of  eternity,  and  all  the  seraphic 
hosts  of  heaven,  before  the  world  was 
made."  (D&C  38:1.)  We  bear  solemn 
witness  that  God  does  live  and  that 
the  first  principle  of  the  gospel  is  to 
have  faith  in  the  Lord,  Jesus  Christ, 
and  in  God,  our  Heavenly  Father.  We 
further  declare  to  the  world  and  bear 
witness  that  we  are  the  spiritual  off- 
spring of  heavenly  parents. 

Our  true  genesis,  we  declare,  is  that 
we  did  not  come  here  by  chance  or  by 
a  whim  of  nature,  but  we  came  here 
by  divine  right,  which  we  earned  be- 
cause of  our  faithfulness  in  a  previous 
estate.  Our  eternal  spirits  are  clothed 
in  mortal  bodies  made  in  the  image  of 
our  Father.  We  do  not  remember  what 
happened  in  that  former  estate,  as  a 
veil  has  been  drawn  that  obscures  our 
memory.  We  don't  have  all  the  an- 
swers here. 

The  Lord  has  made  it  plain  that  we 
must  be  prepared  to  grope  and  see  as 
"through  a  glass  darkly,"  but  we  have 
been  given  the  assurance  that  one 
bright  day  we  shall  see  clearly  and  our 
vision  will  be  undimmed. 

In  the  meantime  we  must  be  con- 
tent to  accept  many  things  on  faith. 
Some  have  referred  to  this  as  blind 
faith  or  blind  obedience.  But  I  have 
never  been  persuaded  that  faith  or 
obedience  was  blind  when  the  request 
to  perform  some  duty  or  task  came 
from  one  in  whom  I  had  complete 
confidence  and  trust.  Rather  than  term 
it  blind  obedience,  I  prefer  to  call  it 
trusting  or  implicit  faith. 

I  like  the  beautiful  lesson  taught  and 
the  impressive  example  set  by  our  first 
parent,  Father  Adam.  He  was  com- 
manded by  the  Lord  to  offer  the  first- 
lings of  his  flocks  as  a  sacrifice.  He 
did  not  know  the  reason  for  the  request, 
but  without  hesitation  he  was  obedient 
to  the  commandment:  "And  after  many 
days  an  angel  of.  the  Lord  appeared 
unto  Adam,  saying:  Why  dost  thou 
offer  sacrifices  unto  the  Lord?"  Adam 
responded  with  this  magnificent,  trust- 
ing reply:  "I  know  not,  save  the  Lord 
commanded  me."  (Moses  5:5-6.)  To 
Adam  it  was  not  a  matter  of  blind 
obedience,  but  rather  it  displayed  his 
complete   and  unwavering   confidence 


and  faith  in  the  word  and  instruction 
from  the  Lord. 

During  our  lifetime  there  will  un- 
doubtedly come  times  when  we  may 
be  asked  by  our  Church  leaders  to 
carry  out  an  assignment  or  perform 
some  duty.  We  may  not  be  aware  of 
the  reason  for  the  request  at  the  time 
nor  after.  But  I  am  confident  that  if 
we  have  faith  in  our  leaders  and  render 
obedience  to  them,  the  Lord  will  bless 
and  reward  us  for  our  faithfulness. 

The  Lord  has  endowed  some  indi- 
viduals with  a  gift  and  capacity  for 
possessing  and  exercising  great  powers 
of  faith.  Such  a  man  was  Henry  A^ 
Dixon.  Although  married  and  with  a 
family  of  many  children,  when  called 
by  the  First  Presidency  to  fill  a  mis- 
sion to  Great  Britain,  he  readily  ac- 
cepted the  call  without  hesitation.  With 
three  missionary  traveling  companions, 
he  embarked  from  St.  John  Island  at 
Newfoundland  on  the  steamship  Ari- 
zona. 

En  route  a  furious  storm  arose.  As 
the  missionaries  were  preparing  to 
have  their  evening  prayers  prior  to 
retiring,  they  felt  a  shocking  jolt  that 
caused  the  entire  ship  to  quiver.  As 
they  rushed  to  the  deck  they  discovered 
that  the  ship,  traveling  at  full  speed, 
had  rammed  a  gigantic  iceberg.  A 
huge,  gaping  hole  had  been  torn  in  the 
prow  of  the  vessel,  which  extended 
even  below  the  water  line.  The  captain 
advised  that  only  in  a  calm  sea  could 
he  and  the  crew  bring  the  ship  to  the 
nearest  port,  which  was  some  250  miles 
away. 

The  wind  and  the  storm  continued 
unabated.  Many  hours  later  and  un- 
able to  sleep,  Elder  Dixon  arose, 
dressed,  and  walked  to  the  deck.  Stand- 
ing there  alone  in  the  dark,  with  deep 
humility  and  great  faith,  by  the  power 
of  the  Holy  Priesthood,  he  rebuked  the 
waves  and  commanded  them  to  be 
still. 

Thirty-six  hours  later  the  ship  was 
able  to  return  and  dock  at  Port  St. 
John.  In  accordance  with  Elder  Dixon's 
promise,  not  a  single  life  had  been  lost. 

When  the  ship's  owner,  a  Mr.  Guion, 
learned  of  the  accident,  and  knowing 
that  Mormon  missionaries  were  aboard, 
he  was  quoted  as  saying:  "There  is 
nothing  to  worry  about.  My  line  has 
transported  Mormon  missionaries  for 
forty  years  and  has  never  lost  a  boat 
with  Mormon  missionaries  aboard!" 

Not  only  was  faith  a  powerful  force 
in  this  instance,  but  it  is  also  a  strong 
and  motivating  factor  in  the  lives  of 
numerous  individuals,  bringing  to  them 
comfort  and  peace  of  mind. 

During  the  winter  of  1834-1835  a 
theological  school  was  established  in 
Kirtland.  It  was  the  custom  at  the 
school  to  call  upon  a  certain  member 


to  speak  for  the  edification  of  the 
others.  Heber  C.  Kimball,  on  one 
occasion,  was  invited  to  address  them 
on  the  subject  of  faith.  He  began  by 
relating  an  incident  that  had  occurred 
but  recently  in  his  own  family.  "My 
wife,  one  day,"  commenced  Brother 
Kimball,  "when  going  out  on  a  visit, 
gave  our  daughter  Helen  Mar  charge 
not  to  touch  the  dishes,"  as  they  were 
very  scarce,  expensive,  and  hard  to 
replace.  She  advised  her  that  if  she 
broke  any  during  her  absence,  she 
would  punish  her  when  she  returned. 
"While  my  wife  was  absent,"  con- 
tinued Brother  Kimball,  "my  daughter 
broke  a  number  of  the  dishes  by  letting 
the  table  leaf  fall " 

The  little  girl  was  greatly  fright- 
ened and  "went  out  under  an  apple 
tree  and  prayed  that  her  mother's 
heart  might  be  softened,  that  when  she 
returned  she  would  not  spank  her. 
Her  mother  was  very  punctual,"  said 
Brother  Kimball,  "when  she  made  a 
promise  to  her  children,  to  fulfill  it, 
and  when  she  returned,  she  undertook, 
as  a  duty,  to  carry  this  promise  into 
effect.  She  retired  with  [the  little  girl] 
into  her  room,  but  found  herself 
powerless  to  chastise  her;  her  heart  was 
so  softened  that  it  was  impossible  for 
her  to  raise  her  hand  against  the  child. 
Afterwards,  Helen  told  her  mother  she 
had  prayed  to  the  Lord  that  she  might 
not  whip  her." 

Brother  Heber  paused  in  his  simple 
narrative.  Tears  glistened  in  the  eyes 
of  his  listeners;  the  Prophet  Joseph, 
who  was  a  warm  and  tender-hearted 
man,  was  also  weeping.  He  told  the 
brethren  that  that  was  the  kind  of 
faith  they  needed:  "the  faith  of  a  little 
child,  going  in  humility  to  its  Parents, 
and  asking  for  the  desire  of  its  heart." 
He  complimented  Brother  Kimball  and 
said  "the  anecdote  was  well-timed." 
(Orson  F.  Whitney,  Life  of  Heber  C. 
Kimball  [Bookcraft,  1945],  pp.  69-70.) 

At  the  general  conference  held  last 
April,  at  a  solemn  assembly  here  in  the 
Tabernacle,  the  names  of  a  new  First 
Presidency  were  presented  and  sus- 
tained. These  brethren,  whom  the 
Lord  has  chosen  and  designated  to  be 
the  three  presiding  high  priests,  did 
not  seek  the  high  and  holy  callings 
that  came  to  them;  but  throughout 
their  lives  they  lived  and  worked 
so  that  when  the  positions  sought  them, 
they  were  prepared  to  humbly  accept 
those  callings.  I  have  faith  in  them 
and  earnestly  pray  that  they  may  be 
blessed,  magnified,  and  sustained,  and 
that  we  as  members  of  the  Church  may 
have  the  faith  and  good  judgment  to 
follow  their  inspired  leadership,  as  we 
go  forward  in  this,  the  Lord's  work; 
for  this  I  pray,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  our  Savior.  Amen.  O 


44    Era,  December  1970 


women's  lib -pollution 
ncreased  crime- " 

Utah  economic  future 
sacher  contracts -war 
tourism  -  r ehabili tatioi 
i  vorce-drunk  driving 
highway  constructio 
care  for  aged-ecolog 

we  care 


Utah's  Community-Minded  Stations 


m 


home  of  radio 


•  As  a  people,  we  have  three  great 
loyalties:  loyalty  to  God,  loyalty  to 
family,  loyalty  to  country.  ■ 

I  come  to  you  today  with  a  plea  to 
strengthen  our  families. 

It  has  been  truly  stated  that  "salva- 
tion is  a  family  affair  .  .  .  and  that  the 
family  unit  is  the  most  important  or- 
ganization in  time  or  in  eternity." 

The  Church  was  created  in  large 
measure  to  help  the  family,  and  long 
after  the  Church  has  performed  its 
mission,  the  celestial  patriarchal  order 
will  still  be  functioning.  This  is  why 
President  Joseph  F.  Smith  said:  "To  be 
a  successful  father  or  a  successful 
mother  is  greater  than  to  be  a  success- 
ful general  or  a  successful  statesman 
.  .  .  ,"  and  President  McKay  added: 
"When  one  puts  business  or  pleasure 
above  his  home,  he,  that  moment, 
starts  on  the  downgrade  to  soul 
weakness." 

And  this  is  why  President  Harold  B. 
Lee  said  only  yesterday,  "The  Church 
must  do  more  to  help  the  home  carry 
out  its  divine  mission." 

President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  has 
stated  that  never  "in  the  history  of  the 
Church  have  there  been  so  many 
temptations,  so  many  pitfalls,  so  many 
dangers,  to  lure  away  the  members  of 
the  Church  from  the  path  of  duty  and 
from  righteousness  as  we  find  today." 
(Take  Heed  to  Yourselves,  p.  127.) 
And  he  has  also  said:  "This  world  is 
not  growing  better  .  .  .  wickedness  is 
increasing."  (Ibid.,  p.  207.) 

Never  has  the  devil  been  so  well 
organized,  and  never  in  our  day  has  he 
had  so  many  powerful  emissaries  work- 
ing for  him.  We  must  do  everything 
in  our  power  to  strengthen  and  safe- 
guard the  home  and  family. 


The  adversary  knows  "that  the  home 
is  the  first  and  most  effective  place  for 
children  to  learn  the  lessons  of  life: 
truth,  honor,  virtue,  self-control;  the 
value  of  education,  honest  work,  and 
the  purpose  and  privilege  of  life.  Noth- 
ing can  take  the  place  of  home  in 
rearing  and  teaching  children,  and  no 
other  success  can  compensate  for  fail- 
ure in  the  home."  (President  David  O. 
McKay,  in  Family  Home  Evening 
Manual,  1968-69,  p.  iii.) 

And  so  today,  the  undermining  of  the 
home  and  family  is  on  the  increase, 
with  the  devil  anxiously  working  to  dis- 
place the  father  as  the  head  of  the 
home  and  create  rebellion  among  the 
children.  The  Book  of  Mormon  de- 
scribes this  condition  when  it  states, 
"And  my  people,  children  are  their 
oppressors,  and  women  rule  over  them." 
And  then  these  words  follow — and 
consider  these  words  seriously  when 
you  think  of  those  political  leaders  who 
are  promoting  birth  control  and  abor- 
tion: "O  my  people,  they  who  lead 
thee  cause  thee  to  err  and  destroy  the 
way  of  thy  paths."  (2  Ne.  13:12.)  And 
let  me  warn  the  sisters  in  all  seriousness 
that  you  who  submit  yourselves  to  an 
abortion  or  to  an  operation  that  pre- 
cludes you  from  safely  having  addi- 
tional healthy  children  are  jeopardizing 
your  exaltation  and  your  future  mem- 
bership in  the  kingdom  of  God. 

Parents  are  directly  responsible  for 
the  righteous  rearing  of  their  children, 
and  this  responsibility  cannot  be  safely 
delegated  to  relatives,  friends,  neigh- 
bors, the  school,  the  church,  or  the 
state. 

"I  appeal  to  you  parents,  take  noth- 
ing for  granted  about  your  children," 
said   President   J.    Reuben   Clark,    Jr. 


"The  great  bulk  of  them,  of  course,  are 
good,  but  some  of  us  do  not  know  when 
they  begin  to  go  away  from  the  path 
of  truth  and  righteousness.  Be  watch- 
ful every  day  and  hour.  Never  relax 
your  care,  your  solicitude.  Rule  kindly 
in  the  spirit  of  the  Gospel  and  the  spirit 
of  the  priesthood,  but  rule,  if  you  wish 
your  children  to  follow  the  right  path." 
Permissive  parents  are  part  of  the 
problem. 

As  a  watchman  on  the  tower,  I  feel 
to  warn  you  that  one  of  the  chief 
means  of  misleading  our  youth  and 
destroying  the  family  unit  is  our  edu- 
cational institutions.  President  Joseph 
F.  Smith  referred  to  false  educational 
ideas  as  one  of  the  three  threatening 
dangers  among  our  Church  members. 
There  is  more  than  one  reason  why 
the  Church  is  advising  our  youth  to 
attend  colleges  close  to  their  homes 
where  institutes  of  religion  are  avail- 
able. It  gives  the  parents  the  oppor- 
tunity to  stay  close  to  their  children; 
and  if  they  have  become  alert  and 
informed  as  President  McKay  admon- 
ished us  last  year,  these  parents  can 
help  expose  some  of  the  deceptions  of 
men  like  Sigmund  Freud,  Charles  Dar- 
win, John  Dewey,  Karl  Marx,  John 
Keynes,  and  others. 

Today  there  are  much  worse  things 
that  can  happen  to  a  child  than  not 
getting  a  full  college  education.  In 
fact,  some  of  the  worst  things  have 
happened  to  our  children  while  attend- 
ing colleges  led  by  administrators  who 
wink  at  subversion  and  amoral  ity. 

Said  Karl  G.  Maeser,  "I  would  rather 
have  my  child  exposed  to  smallpox, 
typhus  fever,  cholera,  or  other  malig- 
nant and  deadly  diseases  than  to  the 
degrading     influence     of     a     corrupt 


46    Era,  December  1970 


WELFAR 


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teacher.  It  is  infinitely  better  to  take 
chances  with  an  ignorant,  but  pure- 
minded  teacher  than  with  the  greatest 
philosopher  who  is  impure." 

Vocational  education,  correspondence 
courses,  establishment  in  a  family 
business  are  being  considered  for  their 
children  by  an  increasing  number  of 
parents. 

The  tenth  plank  in  Karl  Marx's 
Manifesto  for  destroying  our  kind  of 
civilization  advocated  the  establish- 
ment of  "free  education  for  all  children 
in  public  schools."  There  were  sev- 
eral reasons  why  Marx  wanted  govern- 
ment to  run  the  schools.  Dr.  A.  A. 
Hodge  pointed  out  one  of  them  when 
he  said,  "It  is  capable  of  exact 
demonstration  that  if  every  party  in  the 
State  has  the  right  of  excluding  from 
public  schools  whatever  he  does  not 
believe  to  be  true,  then  he  that  believes 
most  must  give  way  to  him  that  be- 
lieves least,  and  then  he  that  believes 
least  must  give  way  to  him  that 
believes  absolutely  nothing,  no  matter 
in  how  small  a  minority  the  atheists 
or  agnostics  may  be.  It  is  self-evident 
that  on  this  scheme,  if  it  is  consistently 
and  persistently  carried  out  in  all  parts 
of  the  country,  the  United  States  sys- 
tem of  national  popular  education  will 
be  the  most  efficient  and  widespread 
instrument  for  the  propagation  of 
atheism  which  the  world  has  ever 
seen." 

After  the  tragic  prayer  decision  was 
made  by  the  Court,  President  David  O. 
McKay  stated,  "The  Supreme  Court  of 
the  United  States  severs  the  connecting 
cord  between  the  public  schools  of  the 
United  States  and  the  source  of  divine 
intelligence,  the  Creator,  himself." 
(Relief  Society  Magazine,  December 
1962,  p.  878.) 

Does  that  make  any  difference  to 
you?  Can't  you  see  why  the  demand 
of  conscientious  parents  is  increasing 
the  number  of  private  Christian  and 
Americanist  oriented  schools? 

Today,  Brigham  Young  University  is 
the  largest  private  school  in  the  United 
States.  Parents  from  far  and  near  are 
looking  to  Brigham  Young  University 
as  never  before. 

Now,  whether  your  child  attends  this 
type  of  school  or  not,  it  is  important 
that  you  stay  close  to  your  children, 
daily  review,  if  possible,  what  they 
have  learned  in  school,  and  go  over 
their  textbooks. 

President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  has 
stated  that  in  public  schools  you  can- 
not get  a  textbook,  anywhere  that  he 
knows  of,  on  the  "ologies"  that  doesn't 
contain  nonsense.  (Take  Heed  to  Your- 
selves, p.  32.) 

I  know  one  noble  father  who  reviews 
with  his  children  regularly  what  they 
have  been  taught;   and  if  they  have 


been  taught  any  falsehoods,  then  the 
children  and  the  father  together  re- 
search out  the  truth.  If  your  children 
are  required  to  put  down  on  exams  the 
falsehoods  that  have  been  taught,  then 
perhaps  they  can  follow  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith's  counsel  of 
prefacing  their  answer  with  the  words 
"teacher  says,"  or  they  might  say  "you 
taught"  or  "the  textbook  states." 

If  your  children  are  taught  untruths 
on  evolution  in  the  public  schools  or 
even  in  our  Church  schools,  provide 
them  with  a  copy  of  President  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith's  excellent  rebuttal  in 
his  book  Man,  His  Origin  and  Destiny. 

Recently  some  parents  paid  for  space 
in  a  newspaper  to  run  an  open  letter 
to  the  school  principal  of  their  son. 
The  letter  in  part  stated: 

"You   are  hereby  notified  that  our 

son, ,  is  not  allowed  by  his 

undersigned  parents  to  participate  in, 
or  be  subject  to  instruction  in,  any 
training  or  education  in  sex,  human 
biological  development,  attitude  de- 
velopment, self-understanding,  person- 
al and  family  life,  or  group  therapy,  or 
sensitivity  training,  or  self-criticism,  or 
any  combination  or  degree  thereof, 
without  the  consent  of  the  undersigned 
by  express  written  permission.  .  .  . 

"We  intend  to  retain  and  exercise 
our  parental  rights  to  guide  our  child 
in  the  areas  of  morality  and  sexual  be- 
havior without  any  interference  or 
contradiction  imposed  by  school  per- 
sonnel. 

"  [Our  son]  has  been  taught  to  recog- 
nize the  format  of  sensitivity  training, 
group  therapy,  self-criticism,  etc.,  as  it 
is  being  broadly  applied,  lowering 
the  standards  of  morality  and  replac- 
ing American  individual  responsibility 
with  the  dependency  on,  and  con- 
formity to,  the  'herd  consensus'  concept 
of  collectivism. 

"He  has  been  instructed  to  promptly 
remove  himself  from  any  class  in 
which  he  is  exposed  to  the  aforemen- 
tioned indoctrination  and  to  report  to 
us  any  such  disregard  of  this  letter." 

The  Lord  knew  that  in  the  last  days 
Satan  would  try  to  destroy  the  family 
unit.  He  knew  that  by  court  edict, 
pornography  would  be  allowed  to 
prosper. 

How  grateful  we  should  be  that  God 
inspired  his  prophet  over  half  a  cen- 
tury ago  to  institute  the  weekly  home 
evening  program.  This  is  the  van- 
guard for  getting  parents  to  assume  the 
responsibility  of  instructing  their 
children.  An  increasing  number  of 
faithful  Saints  are  holding  more  than 
one  home  evening  a  week  and  are 
adding  to  or  deleting  from  the  home 
evening  manual  as  the  Spirit  dictates.. 

Designed  to  strengthen  and  safe- 
guard  the  family,  the  Church  home 


evening  program  (one  night  each  week) 
is  to  be  set  apart  for  fathers  and  moth- 
ers to  gather  their  sons  and  daughters 
around  them  in  the  home.  Prayer  is 
offered,  hymns  and  other  songs  are 
sung,  scripture  is  read,  family  topics 
are  discussed,  talent  is  displayed,  prin- 
ciples of  the  gospel  are  taught,  and 
often  games  are  played  and  home- 
made refreshments  served. 

Now  here  are  the  promised  blessings 
for  those  who  will  hold  a  weekly 
home  evening: 

"If  the  Saints  obey  this  counsel,  we 
promise  that  great  blessings  will  result. 
Love  at  home  and  obedience  to  parents 
will  increase.  Faith  will  be  developed 
in  the  hearts  of  the  youth  of  Israel, 
and  they  will  gain  power  to  combat 
the  evil  influences  and  temptations 
which  beset  them."  (First  Presidency, 
April  27,  1915,  Improvement  Era,  vol. 
18,  p.  734.) 

Now  what  of  the  entertainment  that 
is  available  to  our  young  people  today? 
Are  you  being  undermined  right  in 
your  home  through  your  TV,  radio, 
slick  magazines,  rock  records?  Much 
of  the  rock  music  is  purposely  designed 
to  push  immorality,  narcotics,  revolu- 
tion, atheism,  and  nihilism,  through 
language  that  often  has  a  double 
meaning  and  with  which  many  par- 
ents are  not  familiar. 

Parents  who  are  informed  can  warn 
their  children  of  the  demoralizing, 
loud,  raucous  beat  of  rock  music,  which 
deadens  the  senses  and  dulls  the  sensi- 
bilities— the  jungle  rhythm  which 
inflames  the  savagery  within. 

Said  President  J.  Reuben  Clark,  Jr.: 

"I  would  have  you  reflect  for  a  mo- 
ment upon  the  fact  that  a  tremendous 
amount  of  the  modern  art,  of  the 
modern  literature  and  music,  and  the 
drama  that  we  have  today  is  utterly 
demoralizing — utterly.  .  .  .  Your  music 
— well,  I  do  not  know  how  far  above 
the  tom-tom  of  the  jungle  it  is,  but 
it  is  not  too  far.  .  .  . 

"These  things  you  must  watch.  They 
all  have  their  effects  on  the  children. 
Make  your  homelife  as  near  heaven- 
like as  you  can."  (Relief  Society  Maga- 
zine, December  1952,  p.  798.) 

Youth  leaders,  are  you  holding  aloft 
our  standards  or  have  you  compromised 
them  for  the  lowest  common  denomi- 
nator in  order  to  appease  the  deceived 
or  vile  within  the  Church?  Are  the 
dances  and  music  in  your  cultural  halls 
virtuous,  lovely,  praiseworthy,  and  of 
good  report,  or  do  they  represent  a 
modern  Sodom  with  short  skirts,  loud- 
beat,  strobe  lights,  and  darkness? 

Will  our  youth  leaders  accept  the 
standards  set  for  young  John  Wesley 
by  his  mother?  Hear  her  sound 
counsel : 

"Would  you  judge  of  the  lawfulness 


Era,  December  1970    49 


or  unlawfulness  of  pleasure?  Take  this 
rule:  Now  note  whatever  weakens  your 
reason,  impairs  the  tenderness  of  your 
conscience,  obscures  your  sense  of  God, 
takes  off  your  relish  for  spiritual  things, 
whatever  increases  the  authority  of  the 
body  over  the  mind,  that  thing  is  sin 
to  you,  however  innocent  it  may  seem 
in  itself." 

Have  we,  as  Moroni  warned,  "pol- 
luted the  holy  church  of  God?"  (Morm. 
8:38.)  The  auxiliaries  of  the  Church 
are  to  be  a  help,  not  a  hindrance,  to 
parents  and  the  priesthood  as  they 
strive  to  lead  their  families  back  to 
God.  Do  any  of  us  wear  or  display  the 
broken  cross,  anti-Christ  sign,  that  is 
the  adversary's  symbol  of  the  so-called 
"peace  movement"? 

"My  people  are  destroyed  for  lack 
of  knowledge,"  lamented  Hosea.  (Hos. 
4:6.)  Today,  because  some  parents 
have  refused  to  become  informed  and 
then  stand  up  and  inform  their  chil- 
dren, they  are  witnessing  the  gradual 
physical  and  spiritual  destruction  of 
their  posterity.  If  we  would  become 
like  God,  knowing  good  and  evil,  then 
we  had  best  find  out  what  is  under- 
mining us,  how  to  avoid  it,  and  what 
we  can  do  about  it. 

It  is  time  that  the  hearts  of  us  fathers 
be  turned  to  our  children  and  the 
hearts  of  the  children  be  turned  to  us 
fathers,  or  we  shall  both  be  cursed. 
The  seeds  of  divorce  are  often  sown 
and  the  blessings  of  children  delayed 
by  wives  working  outside  the  home. 
Working  mothers  should  remember 
that  their  children  usually  need  more 
of  mother  than  of  money. 

As  conditions  in  the  world  get  pro- 
gressively worse,  it  is  crucial  that  the 
.family  draw  closer  together  in  righ- 
teousness and  that  family  solidarity  be 
established.'  As  one  has  said,  "There 
are  too  many  pulls  away  from  the 
home  today.  We  should  seriously  con- 
sider whether  or  not  too  many  activi- 
ties and  other  interests  take  too  much 
time  and  attention  from  our  families, 
from  our  children,  from  those  whom 
the  Lord  God  gave  us  to  love,  to  nour- 
ish, to  teach,  and  to  help  through 
life." 

The  stick-together  families  are  happier 

by  far 
Than  the  brothers  and  the  sisters  who 

take  separate  highways  are. 
The    gladdest   people    living    are    the 

wholesome  folks  who  make 
A  circle  at  the  fireside  that  no  power  on 

earth  can  break. 
And  the  finest  of  conventions  ever  held 

beneath  the  sun 
Are  the  little  family  gatherings  when 

the  busy  day  is  done. 
There  are  rich  folk,  there  are  poor  folk, 

who  imagine  they  are  wise. 


And  they're  very  quick  to  shatter  all 

the  little  family  ties. 
Each  goes  searching  after  pleasure  in 

his  own  selected  way. 
Each   with  strangers   likes  to  wander, 

and  with  strangers  likes  to  play. 
But  it's  bitterness  they  harvest,  and  it's 

empty  joy  they  find, 
For  the  children  that  are  wisest  are  the 

stick-together  kind. 
There   are   some   who   seem   to   fancy 


that  for  gladness  they  must  roam, 
That  for  smiles  that  are  the  brightest 

they  must  wander  far  from  home. 
That   the    strange   friend    is   the    true 

friend,  and  they  travel  far  astray 
And  they  waste  their  lives  in  striving 

for  a  joy  that's  far  away, 
But  the  gladdest  sort  of  people,  when 

the  busy  day  is  done, 
Are  the  brothers  and  the  sisters,  who 

together  share  their  fun. 


"The  Spoken  Word"  from  Temple 
Square,  presented  over  KSL  and 
the  Columbia  Broadcasting  System 
October  11,  1970.  ©1970. 


There  is  much  said  that  isn't  so 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

\  A  A  e  l've  'n  a  t'me  °f  much  talk,  with  opinions  often  expressed, 
\f  \  /sometimes  without  much  substance,  and  rumors  that  swiftly 
V  Vcirculate,  because  someone  heard  that  someone  said  that  some- 
thing is  so — and  so  opinions  proliferate,  and  rumors  run  rampant,  be- 
cause so  many  have  the  means  of  saying  so  much  to  so  many,  and 
because  so  much  that  is  unproved  is  repeated,  often  without  thinking 
much  whether  or  m.  i  it  is  or  isn't  so.  "What  is  the  hardest  task  in  the 
world?"  asked  Emerson.  "To  think."'  And  to  this  Dr.  Frank  Crane  added 
some  interesting  sentences:  "Don't  pick  up  some  opinion  you  hear, 
and  make  it  your  own  because  it  sounds  fine,  and  go  to  passing  it  out, 
without  carefully  examining  it,  scrutinizing,  cross-questioning  and  test- 
ing it.  .  .  .  Don't  be  afraid  to  say,  'I  don't  know.'  .  .  .  What  you  ought  to 
be  ashamed  of  is  seeming  to  understand  when  you  don't.  .  .  .  Ask 
questions.  Define— practice  defining.  Practice  telling  what  a  thing  is 
not,  as  well  as  what  it  is.  Get  a  clear  idea  of  what  you  don't  know. 
Then  you  can  see  better  what  you  do  know.  .  .  .  Don't  let  anybody 
make  you  think  you  owe  a  certain  amount  of  belief  in  a  thing  simply 
because  you  can't  disprove  it.  .  .  .  You  don't  have  to  believe  or  dis- 
believe everything  that  comes  along;  most  things  you  just  hang  up 
and  wait."2  Well,  it  all  adds  up  to  a  simple  conclusion:  There  is  much 
said  that  isn't  so.  There  is  much  opinion  expressed  that  isn't  proved. 
There  is  much  rumor  running  around— and  if  we  let  ourselves  be  run 
by  rumor  we  would  find  ourselves  as  James  said:  "like  a  wave  of  the  sea 
driven  with  the  wind  and  tossed."3 

"The  flying  rumors  gather'd  as  they  roll'd, 
Scare  any  tale  was  sooner  heard  than  told; 
And  all  who  told  it  added  something  new 
And  all  who  heard  it  made  enlargements  too."4 
Everything  we  think  and  everything  we  hear  aren't  necessarily  so. 


'Ralph  Waldo  Emerson,  Essays,  First  Series:  Intellect 

2Dr.  Frank  Crane,  four  Minute  Essays. 

3|as.  1:6. 

4Alexander  Pope,  The  Temple  of  Fame. 


50 


It's  the  stick-together  family  that  wins 

the  joys  of  earth, 
That    hears    the    sweetest   music    and 

that  finds  the  finest  mirth; 
It's  the  old  home  roof  that  shelters  all 

the  charm  that  life  can  give; 
There  you  find  the  gladdest  playground, 

there  the  happiest  spot  to  live. 
And,  O  weary,  wandering  hrother,   if 

contentment  you  would  win, 
Come  you  back  unto  the  fireside  and 

be  comrade  with  your  kin. 

(Adapted   from   a  poem 
by    Edgar    A.    Guest.) 

And  so  let's  strengthen  the  family. 
Family  and  individual  prayer,  morning 
and  evening,  can  invite  the  blessings  of 
the  Lord  on  your  household.  Mealtime 
provides  a  wonderful  time  to  review 
the  activities  of  the  day  and  to  not  only 
feed  the  body,  but  to  feed  the  spirit 


as  well,  with  members  of  the  family 
taking  turns  reading  the  scriptures, 
particularly  the  Book  of  Mormon. 
Nighttime  is  a  great  time  for  the  busy 
father  to  go  to  each  child's  bedside,  to 
talk  with  him,  answer  his  questions, 
and  tell  him  how  much  he  is  loved. 
In  such  homes  there  is  no  "generation 
gap."  This  deceptive  phrase  is  another 
tool  of  the  devil  to  weaken  the  home 
and  family.  Children  who  honor  their 
parents  and  parents  who  love  their 
children  can  make  a  home  a  haven  of 
safety  and  a  little  bit  of  heaven. 

Does  this  poem  describe  your  family 
gatherings? 

We  are  all  here: 

Father,  mother, 

Sister,  brother, 
All  who  hold  each  other  dear. 
Each  chair  is  filled,  we  are  all  at  home. 


Tonight,  let  no  cold  stranger  come; 
It  must  be  often  thus  around 
Our  old  familiar  hearth  we're  found. 
Bless,  then,  the  meeting  and  the  spot. 
For  once  be  every  care  forgot; 
Let  gentle  peace  assert  her  power, 
And  kind  affection  rule  the  hour. 
We're  all — all  here. 

(Adapted  from  a  poem 
by  Charles  Sprague.) 

God  bless  us  to  strengthen  our  fami- 
lies by  avoiding  the  crafty  designs  of 
the  adversary  and  following  the  noble 
ways  of  the  Lord,  so  that  in  due  time 
we  can  report  to  our  Heavenly  Father 
in  his  celestial  home  that  we  are  all 
there,  father,  mother,  sister,  brother, 
all  who  hold  each  other  dear.  Each 
chair  is  filled,  we  are  all  back  home. 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  Brethren  and  sisters:  I  have  taken  for 
my  theme  this  afternoon,  "The  Key- 
stone of  Our  Religion." 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  wrote  in 
his  diary  for  November  28,  1841: 

"I  spent  the  day  in  the  council  with 
the  Twelve  Apostles  at  the  house  of 
President  Young,  conversing  with  them 
upon  a  variety  of  subjects.  ...  I  told 
the  brethren  that  the  Book  of  Mormon 
was  the  most  correct  of  any  book  on 
earth,  and  the  keystone  of  our  religion, 
and  a  man  would  get  nearer  to  God  by 
abiding  by  its  precepts  than  by  any 
other  book."  (Documentary  History  of 
the  Church,  vol.  4,  p.  461.  Italics 
added.) 

The  authenticity  of  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon and  the  restoration  of  the  gospel 
rest  upon  the  same  two  fundamentals: 
first,  the  reality  of  modern  revelation, 
and  second,  the  fact  that  Joseph  Smith 
was  a  prophet  of  God.  These  two  veri- 


ties are  inseparably  connected  in  their 
relationship  to  the  Book  of  Mormon 
and  the  restored  gospel.  To  accept  one 
of  them  is  to  accept  the  other. 

When  Joseph  Smith  retired  to  bed 
on  the  night  of  September  21,  1823, 
he  had  no  thought  (and  he  had  never 
had  a  thought)  about  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  The  matter  that  concerned 
him  at  that  moment  was  his  standing 
with  the  Lord.  This,  in  prayer  and 
supplication,  he  sought  to  determine. 
While  praying,  he  was  visited  by 
Moroni,  a  personage  sent  from  the 
presence  of  God,  who  told  him  that 
"there  was  a  book  deposited  [in  nearby 
Cumorah],  written  upon  gold  plates, 
giving  an  account  of  the  former  in- 
habitants of  this  continent,  and  the 
sources  from  whence  they  sprang.  He 
also  said  that  the  fullness  of  the  ever- 
lasting Gospel  was  contained  in  it,  as 
delivered  by  the  Savior  to  the  ancient 


inhabitants;  also  that  there  were  two 
stones  in  silver  bows  .  .  .  deposited 
with  the  plates;  .  .  .  and  that  God  had 
prepared  them  for  the  purpose  of  trans- 
lating the  book."  (DHC,  vol.  1,  p.  12.) 

In  this  interview,  the  Prophet  re- 
ceived his  first  concept  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon.  From  that  night  until  the 
book  was  published,  Joseph  was  con- 
stantly guided  from  heaven  in  obtain- 
ing, caring  for,  and  translating  the 
sacred  record.  One  of  the  most  remark- 
able things  concerning  the  Book  of 
Mormon  is  the  frequency  and  the  final- 
ity with  which  the  Lord  himself  testi- 
fied to  its  truth  and  divinity. 

Confirming  his  own  participation  in 
bringing  forth  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
the  Lord,  in  August  1830,  said  to  the 
Prophet:  "I  .  .  .  sent  [Moroni]  unto 
you  to  reveal  the  Book  of  Mormon,  con- 
taining the  fulness  of  my  everlasting 
gospel..."  (D&C27:5.) 


Era,  December  1970    51 


•  TO  THE  COUNTLESS 
WOMEN  WHO  HAVE  SAID: 

"///  could  just  listen  to  Mrs.  Daryl 

Hoole  for  ten  minutes  every  morning 

I'd  get  the  boost  I  need  to  do  my  work." 

•  AND  TO  THE  MANY  OTHER  WOMEN 
WHO  HAVE  TAKEN  MRS.  HOOLE'S 
SERIES     OF     CLASSES      FOR       THE 

SECOND  AND  THIRD  TIMES  .  .  . 

"Your  class  was  so  helpful  1  just  had  to 
come  back  for  another  series." 

•  AND  TO  THE  OTHER  WOMEN 

WHO  HAVE  CONFESSED: 

"My  husband  has  offered  to  give  me 
$5.00  every  time  I  hear  Mrs.  Daryl  Hoole 
speak." 

•  AND   TO    HOMEMAKERS    EVERY- 

WHERE WHO  SAY: 

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In  the  preface  to  the  Doctrine  and 
Covenants,  the  Lord  said  that  he  called 
upon  "Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  and  spake 
unto  him  from  heaven,  and  gave  him 
commandments"  that  he  might  "have 
power  to  translate  through  the  mercy 
of  God,  hy  the  power  of  God,  the  Book 
of  Mormon."  (D&C  1:17,  29.)  The 
Lord  also  told  the  Three  Witnesses  that 
the  Prophet  had  "translated  the  hook," 
and  then  he  added,  "as  your  Lord  and 
your  God  liveth  it  is  true."  (D&C  17:6.) 

As  the  Prophet  proceeded  with  the 
translation,  he  learned  many  great 
and  marvelous  truths.  He  learned  that 
the  concept  of  the  Book  of  Mormon 
originated  in  the  mind  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  himself — that  both  the  source 
material  for  the  record  and  the  engrav- 
ings that  he  was  translating  were  pre- 
pared by  righteous  men  directed  by 
God. 

He  learned  that,  under  the  guidance 
of  the  Lord,  the  gathering  of  source 
material  for  the  book  began  as  early  as 
2200  b.c,  when  the  Lord  commanded 
the  brother  of  Jared  "to  go  down  out 
of  the  mount  from  the  presence  of  the 
Lord,  and  write  the  things  which  he 
had  seen."  (Eth.  4:1.)  He  learned  that 
the  record  thus  begun  was  continued 
by  commandment  of  the  Lord  until 
the  end  of  the  Jaredite  era;  that  the 
complete  Jaredite  record  miraculously 
came  into  the  hands  of  Moroni,  who, 
about  a.d.  400,  abridged  it  into  the 
short  record  we  know  as  the  book  of 
Ether.  He  learned  that  the  things  in 
this  short  abridgment  were  written  by 
Moroni  upon  the  plates  he,  Joseph, 
was  translating,  because,  according  to 
Moroni's  own  words,  "the  Lord  hath 
commanded  me  to  write  them";  and 
Moroni  continues:  "...  I  have  written 
upon  these  plates  the  very  things 
which  the  brother  of  Jared  saw"  and 
the  Lord  "commanded  me  that  I  should 
seal  them  up;  and  he  also  hath  com- 
manded that  I  should  seal  up  the  in- 
terpretation thereof;  wherefore  I  have 
sealed  up  the  interpreters,  according 
to  the  commandment  of  the  Lord." 
(Eth.  4:4-5.) 

Similar  direction  was  given  con- 
cerning the  Nephite  records: 

"The  Lord  commanded  me  [said 
Nephi],  wherefore  I  did  make  plates  of 
ore  that  I  might  engraven  upon  them 
the  record  of  my  people.  .  .  . 

"And  this  have  I  done,  and  com- 
manded my  people  what  they  should 
do  after  I  was  gone."  (1  Ne.  19:1,  4.) 

Thus,  pursuant  to  divine  command 
and  direction,  the  comprehensive  rec- 
ord on  the  large  plates  of  Nephi,  from 
which  Mormon  made  his  abridgment, 
was  kept  for  nearly  a  thousand  years. 

Jesus  himself  edited  part  of  that 
record.  During  his  post-resurrection 
ministry  among  the  Nephites,  he  in- 


52 


structed  them  to  write  the  things  which 
he  had  taught  them.  He  also  reminded 
them  that  they  had  not  made  record  of 
the  prophecy  of  his  servant  Samuel  the 
Lamanite,  to  the  effect  that  at  the  time 
of  his  resurrection  "many  saints" 
should  arise  from  the  dead.  When  he 
drew  this  to  their  attention,  his  disci- 
ples remembered  the  prophecies  and 
their  fulfillment.  (Jesus  commanded 
that  it  should  be  written;  therefore  it 
was  written  according  as  he  com- 
manded.) 

From  the  title  page  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon,  the  Prophet  learned  that  one 
of  the  two  purposes  of  the  book  was 
"the  convincing  of  the  Jew  and  Gentile 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ." 

For  the  accomplishment  of  this  pur- 
pose, the  book  is  from  beginning  to  end 
a  witness  for  Christ.  Its  first  chapter 
contains  an  account  of  a  vision  in 
which  Lehi  beheld  Jesus  "descending 
out  of  the  midst  of  heaven"  in  luster 
above  the  noonday  sun.  (1  Ne.  1:9.) 
Its  last  chapter  concludes  with  Moroni's 
great  exhortation  to  come  unto  Christ 
and  be  perfected  in  him,  with  this  as- 
surance: ".  .  .  and  if  ye  shall  deny 
yourselves  of  all  ungodliness  and  love 
God  with  all  your  might,  mind  and 
strength,  then  is  his  grace  sufficient  for 
you,  that  by  his  grace  ye  may  be  .  .  . 
sanctified "  (Moro.  10:32-33.) 

Numerous  and  great  are  the  stirring 
testimonies  that  illuminate  the  five 
hundred  pages  between  these  two 
chapters. 

I  bear  you  my  witness  that  I  have 
obtained  for  myself  a  personal  knowl- 
edge that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  all 
the  Prophet  Joseph  said  it  is;  that  from 
it  radiates  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and 
revelation;  that  it  teaches  in  plain 
simplicity  the  great  doctrines  of  salva- 
tion and  the  principles  of  righteous 
conduct  calculated  to  bring  men  to 
Christ;  that  familiarity  with  its  spirit 
and  obedience  to  its  teachings  will 
move  every  contrite  soul  to  fervently 
pray  with  David,  "Create  in  me  a  clean 
heart,  O  God;  and  renew  a  right  spirit 
within  me."  (Ps.  51:10.) 

One's  soul  is  lifted  above  the  sordid 
things  of  this  world  and  soars  in  the 
realm  of  the  divine,  as  in  spirit  he 
stands  with  the  brother  of  Jared  on 
Mount  Shelem  in  the  presence  of  the 
premortal  Redeemer  and  hears  him 
say:  "Behold,  I  am  he  who  was  pre- 
pared from  the  foundation  of  the  world 
to  redeem  my  people.  Behold,  I  am 
Jesus  Christ.  ...  In  me  shall  all  man- 
kind have  light,  and  that  eternally, 
even  they  who  shall  believe  on  my 
name.  .  .  . 

".  .  .  Seest  thou  that  ye  are  created 
after  mine  own  image?  Yea,  even  all 
men  were  created  in  the  beginning 
after  mine  own  image. 


"Behold,  this  body,  which  ye  now 
behold,  is  the  body  of  my  spirit;  and 
man  have  I  created  after  the  body  of 
my  spirit;  and  even  as  I  appear  unto 
thee  to  be  in  the  spirit  will  I  appear 
unto  my  people  in  the  flesh."  (Eth. 
3:14-16.) 

One's  soul  is  likewise  lifted  as  in 
spirit  he  mingles  with  the  multitude 
"round  about  the  temple  ...  in  the 
land  of  Bountiful,"  who,  as  Mormon 
said,  "were  marveling  and  wondering 
one  with  another,  and  were  show- 
ing one  to  another  the  great  and  mar- 
velous change  which  had  taken  place. 

"And  .  .  .  also  conversing  about  this 
Jesus  Christ,  of  whom  the  sign  had 
been  given  concerning  his  death. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  while  they 
were  thus  conversing  one  with  another, 
they  heard  a  voice  as  if  it  came  out  of 
heaven;  .  .  .  and  it  was  not  a  harsh 
voice,  neither  was  it  a  loud  voice; 
nevertheless,  and  notwithstanding  it 
being  a  small  voice  it  did  pierce  them 
that  did  hear  to  the  center,  insomuch 
that  there  was  no  part  of  their  frame 
that  it  did  not  cause  to  quake;  yea,  it 
did  pierce  them  to  the  very  soul,  and 
did  cause  their  hearts  to  burn. 

".  .  .  and  it  said  unto  them: 

"Behold  my  Beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased,  in  whom  I  have 
glorified  my  name — hear  ye  him. 

".  .  .  and  behold,  they  saw  a  Man 
descending  out  of  heaven;  and  he  was 
clothed  in  a  white  robe;  and  he  came 
down  and  stood  in  the  midst  of  them; 
and  the  eyes  of  the  whole  multitude 
were  turned  upon  him,  and  they  durst 
not  open  their  mouths,  even  one  to 
another,  and  wist  not  what  it  meant, 
for  they  thought  it  was  an  angel  that 
had  appeared  unto  them. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  he 
stretched  forth  his  hand  and  spake  unto 
the  people,  saying: 

"Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
the  prophets  testified  shall  come  into 
the  world. 

"And  behold,  I  am  the  light  and  the 
life  of  the  world.  .  .  ."  (3  Ne.  11:1-3, 
6-11.) 

No  one  can  read  Alma's  resume  of 
the  experiences  of  his  father  with  the 
saints  who  joined  the  church  at  the 
waters  of  Mormon;  of  the  Lord's  mercy 
and  long-suffering  in  bringing  them 
out  of  their  spiritual  and  temporal 
captivity;  of  how  by  the  power  of  the 
Holy  Spirit,  they  were  awakened  from 
their  deep  sleep  of  death  to  experience 
a  mighty  change  wrought  in  their 
hearts — no  one,  I  say,  can  contemplate 
this  marvelous  transformation  without 
yearning  to  have  a  like  change  wrought 
in  his  own  heart. 

And  no  one  can  answer  for  himself 
these  questions,  which  Alma  put  to  his 
brethren : 


Era,  December  1970    53 


If  you  can  sell... 

we've  got  your 
number. 

801  364-8401 


¥*f 


I'm  Jay  Horrocks.  I'm  in  charge  of  marketing 
for  Beneficial  Life.  (801)  364-8401  is  my 
phone  number.  If  you're  looking  for  greater 
sales  potential,  call  me  .  .  .  collect. 

Beneficial  is  growing  .  .  .  Rapidly.  We  have 
just  reached  our  first  billion  dollars  in  force 
and  expect  to  be  working  on  our  third  billion 
by  1975.  Inviting  new  opportunities  are 
opening  up  in  nearly  every  state  for  agency 
managers  and  consultants  to  tell  the  exciting 
Beneficial  Life  story.  Part  of  that  sory  is  that 
our  sales  have  more  than  doubled  in  the  past 
year  and  are  still  increasing. 

Why? 

Maybe  it's  because  our  consultants  have 
what  many  say  is  the  most  rewarding  new 
sales  contract  in  the  industry.  Or  maybe  it's 
because  we  make  insurance  so  easy  to  buy 
($100,000  policy  for  less  than  $19  a  month 
at  age  30).  It  could  be  our  new  Professional 
Whole  Life  policy,  with  a  first-year  cash  value 


of  more  than  half  the  first  year  premium,  plus 
a  non-smoker's  discount.  Then  there's  our 
income  replacement  insurance.   It's  tops  too. 

We  think  our  insurance,  placed  by  a  well- 
trained  Beneficial  Life  consultant,  is  the  fin- 
est insurance  value  in  America  today. 

I've  mentioned  just  a  few  of  many  reasons 
why  we  and  our  consultants  are  growing  so 
rapidly.  Give  me  a  call.  Let's  talk  about  NEW 
GROWTH  FOR  YOU! 


Beneficial  Life 

INSURANCE  COMPANY 


SALT   LAKE   CITY,    UTAH 


"[si]  .  .  .  have  ye  spiritually  been 
born  of  God?  [2]  Have  ye  received 
his  image  in  your  countenances?  [3] 
Have  ye  experienced  this  mighty 
change  in  your  hearts? 

"[4]  Do  ye  exercise  faith  in  the  re- 
demption of  him  who  created  you? 
[5]  Do  you  look  forward  with  an 
eye  of  faith,  and  view  this  mortal  body 
raised  in  immortality,  and  this  corrup- 
tion raised  in  incorruption,  to  stand 
before  God  to  be  judged  according  to 
the  deeds  which  have  been  done  in  the 
mortal  body? 

"I  say  unto  you,  can  you  imagine 
to  yourselves  that  ye  hear  the  voice 
of  the  Lord,  saying  unto  you,  in  that 
day:  Come  unto  me  ye  blessed,  for 
behold,    your    works    have    been    the 


works  of  righteousness  upon  the  face  of 
the  earth? 

'[6]  Have  ye  walked,  keeping  your- 
selves blameless  before  God?  [7]  Could 
ye  say,  if  ye  were  called  to  die  at  this 
time  .  .  .  that  ye  have  been  sufficiently 
humble?  That  your  garments  have 
been  been  cleansed  and  made  white 
through  the  blood  of  Christ  ..-.?" 
(Al.  5:14-16,  27.) 

I  say,  no  one  with  the  spirit  of  the 
Book  of  Mormon  upon  him  can  honest- 
ly answer  to  himself  these  soul-search- 
ing questions  without  resolving  to  so 
live  that  he  can  answer  them  in  the 
affirmative  on  that  great  day  to  which 
each  of  us  shall  come.  I  leave  my 
humble  testimony  that  the  Prophet 
knew   whereof   he   spoke    and   uttered 


divine  truth,  when  he  declared: 

"I  told  the  brethren  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  was  the  most  correct  book 
on  earth,  and  the  keystone  of  our  re- 
ligion, and  a  man  would  get  nearer 
to  God  by  abiding  by  its  precepts,  than 
any  other  book." 

As  do  all  the  works  of  God,  the  Book 
of  Mormon  bears  within  itself  the  evi- 
dence of  its  own  authenticity. 

I  urge  you,  my  brethren  and  sisters 
and  friends,  all  of  you  who  hear  my 
voice,  to  become  familiar  with  the 
teachings  and  spirit  of  the  Book  of 
Mormon — "the  keystone  of  our  reli- 
gion." Its  teachings  and  its  spirit  will 
lead  us  to  Christ  and  eternal  life.  To 
this  I  bear  solemn  witness,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.   Amen.  O 


•  I  stand  here  in  a  great  presence, 
surrounded  by  the  First  Presidency  and 
the  other  General  Authorities  of  the 
Church.  Sitting  before  me  are  those 
who  are  appointed  to  administer  the 
affairs  of  the  Church  in  the  stakes, 
missions,  temples,  wards,  priesthood, 
and  other  organizations  of  the  Church. 
In  addition  are  faithful,  devoted  Latter- 
day  Saints  and  other  good  people  who 
are  in  this  great  assembly  and  those 
listening  in  on  the  air.  It  is  a  weighty 
responsibility  and  a  humbling  experi- 
ence. I  am  dependent  upon  the  Lord, 
in  whose  presence  I  also  stand,  as  his 
Spirit  is  most  certainly  here.  I  depend 
also  upon  your  faith  and  prayers, 

Someone  has  said  that  memory  is  the 
library  of  the  mind  and  recollection  is 
the  librarian.  There  are  stored  in  that 
library  things  we  have  read  and  in- 
formation that  has  come  to  us  in  many 
other  ways.  Sometimes  when  we  call 
upon  the  librarian  for  help,  he  is  slow 
to  bring  to  us  the  things  we  would  like 
to  have.  And  sometimes  he  brings  to 
us  material  that  would  better  be  for- 
gotten. 


As  I  stand  before  you  today,  the  li- 
brarian brings  from  the  library  of  the 
mind  some  wonderful,  impressive,  and 
enduring  experiences.  I  recall  many 
years  of  close  and  intimate  acquaint- 
ance and  association  with  great  men  of 
the  past  and  present.  Twenty-three 
years  of  unforgettable  experience  with 
President  Heber  J.  Grant,  one  of  the 
sweetest  associations  that  man  could 
have,  and  with  that  memory  comes  the 
recollection  of  a  wonderful  association 
with  his  counselors  during  those  years. 

From  the  memory  of  the  past  comes 
to  mind  an  association  with  President 
George  Albert  Smith  and  his  coun- 
selors. President  David  O.  McKay  com- 
pleted in  January  of  this  year  an 
administration  of  nearly  19  years,  and 
the  association  with  him  and  the 
counselors  he  has  had  during  that 
period  has  been  a  glorious  experience 
and  privilege.  I  have  known  their 
hearts  and  their  innermost  desires;  they 
have  been  and  are  good  and  righteous 
men. 

While  not  knowing  them  personally, 
I  have  become  acquainted,  through  a 


perusal  of  the  records  they  have  left, 
with  the  Presidents  of  the  Church  and 
their  counselors  and  brethren  of  the 
Twelve  who  have  preceded  those  whom 
I  have  named;  and  I  bear  testimony 
that  they  too  were  inspired  men, 
prophets  of  God,  whose  actions  and 
teachings  were  in  harmony  with  the 
lives  of  those  with  whom  I  have  had 
personal  acquaintance  over  the  years. 

And  now  we  are  blessed  with  the 
administration  of  President  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith  and  his  counselors, 
Presidents  Harold  B.  Lee  and  Nathan 
Eldon  Tanner.  I  testify  to  you  that 
they  too  are  men  whom  the  Lord  loves, 
men  called  of  God  to  preside  over  his 
church  here  upon  the  earth,  prophets, 
seers,  and  revelators;  and  that  great 
strides  are  being  made  in  the  work  of 
proclaiming  the  gospel  to  the  nations 
of  the  world  and  carrying  out  the  Lord's 
program  for  his  church  in  these  the 
latter  days. 

In  addition,  I  think  of  the  brethren 
of  the  Twelve  Apostles  whom  I  have 
known  intimately  over  these  many 
years,  many  of  whom  have  passed  to 


54    Era,  December  1970 


Now  Available  to  All  Wards  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints... 


per  year, 
per  person 


ATHLETICS 


SCOUTING 


GIRL'S  CAMPS 


SOCIALS 


SEMINARIES 


THE    NEED:  Everyone  needs   Insurance  protection  whether 

at  home,  in  church  activities,  or  traveling.  Parents  and  leaders 
welcome  the  opportunity  of  providing  such  broad  protection 
at  a  minimum  of  cost.  Peace  of  mind  and  freedom  from 
worry   make  all  your  activities  more  enjoyable. 

THE  COST: Only  SI  .00  per  year  per  member.   All  active* 

members  of  your  M.  I.  A.  must  be  included. 

OPERATION  OF  THE  PLAN:  The  basic  insurable  group  is 
your  M.  I.  A.  -  Because  the  plan  is  so  broad,  all  active 
members  of  the  ward  M.  I.  A.  must  be  included.  Names  are 
not  required  and  new  members  are  covered  automatically. 
Regular  leaders  may  be  included  at  the  same  low  premium 

rate. 

You  may  also  insure  other  age  groups  in  the  ward  such 
as  Primary  (including  the  Cub  Scouts),  or  those  participat- 
ing in  Senior  athletic  programs  (not  already  included  in 
the  M.  I,  A.  group)  at  the  same  low  premium. 

CLAIMS:  Claims  will  be  paid  for  bills,  as  outlined,  incurred 
within  52  weeks  of  date  of  accident.   No  delay  or  red  tape. 

HOW  TO  APPLY  FOR  POLICY:  Complete  this  inquiry  and 
mail  to  either  of  the  offices  below.  Complete  information 
will  be  mailed  to  the  Bishop. 

J  Active  member  —  Any  member  who  has  attended  M.I. A.  at 
least  3   times   in   the  current  year. 


HAROLD   B.   NIELSEN  &   CO. 


7150  Topanga  Canyon  Blvd.,  Canoga  Park,  California 
Phone:    (213)  340-8735 


BYRON   L.  TURNER   AGENCY 


574  East  Second  South,  Salt  Lake  City,  Utah 
Phone:    (801)363-2775 


$1500  ACCIDENTAL  MEDICAL  EXPENSE 
BENEFIT  -  NO  DEDUCTIBLE 

Under  this  benefit,  costs  of  medical,  surgical,  ambulance, 
hospital,  dental  and  professional  nursing  services  which  are 
incurred  within  one  year  from  the  date  of  accident,  will  be 
paid  up  to  a  maximum  of  FIFTEEN  HUNDRED  DOLLARS 
(S1 ,500.00)  as  the  result  of  any  one  injury.  Each  and  every 
insured  member  is  eligible  for  this  S1 ,500  expense  benefit  for 
each  injury  received. 

$2500  ACCIDENTAL  DEATH  AND 
DISMEMBERMENT  BENEFIT  * 

When   an   injury   results   in   any   of   the  following  losses, 

within  90  days  after  an  accident,  the  following  benefits  will 

be    paid    IN    ADDITION    to   any    medical    expense   benefits: 

(Loss   of    life    .    .    .  52,500.      Loss  of   both    hands,   feet   or 

irrecoverable  sight  of  both  eyes  or  any  combination  of  these 

.  .  .  S2,500.    Loss  of  one  hand,  one  foot,  one  arm,  one  leg  or 

irrecoverable  loss  of  sight  of  either  eye  .  .  .  S1 ,250) . 

#  Limited  to  fifty  percent  for  loss  occurring  as  a  re- 
sult of  traveling  to  or  from  a  scheduled  actlvrty. 


INQUIRY 
L.  D.  S.  Youth  Group  Insurance 

Please  send    us  further    information    concerning   your   Group 
Accident  Insurance. 


Ward 

Chapel 
Address. 


.Stake- 
Xity__ 


Bishop 

Bishop's 
Address- 


.City. 


□  M.I. A.  —  No.  of  Active  Members. 


D  PRIMARY  -  No.  of  Active  Members. 


.Regular  leaders- — 
.Regular  leaders— — 


□  SENIOR  ATHLETICS  -  No.  not  already  included  in  M.I.A.. 


!_ 


Make  Your  College  Experience 

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only  the  Church  Colleges  maintain  the  LDS 
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"full-time"  basis. 

LDS  is  the  only  Business  College  where  LDS 
Devotionals,  teachings,  and  leadership 
training  are  the  rule,  not  the  exception. 

LDS  insures  all  students  rich  religious 
experiences  and  surroundings  with  both  a 
Student  Ward  and  complete  Religious 
Institute  on  campus. 


ENJOY  COLLEGE  LIFE 

Campus  life  at  LDS  will  provide 
you  with  wholesome  activities 
among  those  of  your  own  faith.  A 
full  schedule  of  dances,  assemblies, 
outings,  and  athletic  events  are 
pleasant  relief  to  study  routines. 
Church  fraternal  organizations,  and 
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YOUR  BUSINESS  EDUCATION 
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Business  Careers,  you  will  find  offer  the 
following  advantages: 

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the  great  beyond,  and  those  who  are 
with  us  today.  I  think  too  of  all  the 
other  General  Authorities  of  the 
Church.  It  has  been  a  unique  experi- 
ence, a  beloved  experience,  one  that  I 
truly  treasure  more  than  my  weak 
words  can  express.  I  have  loved  them 
all,  each  and  every  one,  and  I  have 
gained  great  benefit,  blessing,  and 
inspiration  from  each. 

One  of  the  sweetest  and  most  profit- 
able experiences  in  life  is  the  associa- 
tion with  great  and  good  people.  I  can 
testify  to  you  in  all  sincerity  and  sober- 
ness that  these  men  are  and  have  been 
men  of  God,  God's  noblemen,  men 
raised  up  in  this,  the  last  dispensation, 
the  dispensation  of  the  fulness  of  times, 
to  carry  out  the  Lord's  mandate  as  set 
forth  in  the  first  section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants,  which  is  a  marvelous 
revelation  given  through  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith  and  "constitutes  the 
Lord's  Preface  to  the  doctrines,  cove- 
nants, and  commandments  given  in 
this  dispensation": 

"Wherefore,  I  the  Lord,  knowing  the 
calamity  which  should,  come  upon  the 
inhabitants  of  the  earth,  called  upon 
my  servant  Joseph  Smith,  Jun.,  and 
spake  unto  him  from  heaven,  and  gave 
him  commandments; 

"And  also  gave  commandments  to 
others,  that  they  should  proclaim  these 
things  unto  the  world;  and  all  this 
that  it  might  be  fulfilled,  which  was 
written  by  the  prophets — 

"The  weak  things  of  the  world  shall 
come  forth  and  break  down  the  mighty 
and  strong  ones,  that  man  should  not 
counsel  his  fellow  man,  neither  trust 
in  the  arm  of  flesh — 

"But  that  every  man  might  speak  in 
the  name  of  God  the  Lord,  even  the 
Savior  of  the  world; 

"That  faith  also  might  increase  in 
the  earth; 

"That  mine  everlasting  covenant 
might  be  established; 

"That  the  fulness  of  my  gospel  might 
be  proclaimed  by  the  weak  and  the 
simple  unto  the  ends  of  the  world, 
and  before  kings  and  rulers. 

"For  I  am  no  respecter  of  persons, 
and  will  that  all  men  shall  know  thai 
the  day  speedily  cometh;  the  hour  is 
not  yet,  but  is  nigh  at  hand,  when 
peace  shall  be  taken  from  the  earth, 
and  the  devil  shall  have  power  over 
his  own  dominion. 

"And  also  the  Lord  shall  have  power 
over  his  saints,  and  shall  reign  in  their 
midst,  and  shall  come  down  in  judg- 
ment upon  Idumea,  or  the  world." 
(D&C  1:17-23;  35^36.) 

I  thank  the  Lord  for  faith — faith  in 
our  Heavenly  Father  and  in  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ.  I  thank  him  for  inspired 
leadership. 

I   thank  the  Lord  for  faith   in  and 


56 


knowledge  of  the  truth  of  the  re- 
stored gospel.  As  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  said:  "I  can  taste  the  principles 
of  eternal  life,  and  so  can  you.  They 
are  given  to  me  hy  the  revelation  of 
Jesus  Christ.  .  .  .  You  say  that  honey 
is  sweet,  and  so  do  I.  I  can  taste  the 
spirit  of  eternal  life.  I  know  it  is 
good." 

I  am  enjoying  visiting  the  members 
of  the  Church  and  their  leaders  in  the 
stakes  of  the  Church.  To  me  there  is 
no  experience  sweeter  than  that  which 
comes  from  mingling  with  good  people, 
faithful  and  devoted  people,  who  love 
the  Lord  and  whose  hearts  have  been 
and  are  touched  with  the  fire  of  the 
Holy  Ghost,  whose  souls  are  filled 
with  gratitude  for  the  knowledge  and 
understanding  that  have  come  to  them 
through  the  operation  of  the  Holy 
Spirit,  which  has  borne  witness  to 
them  that  this  is  the  truth,  revealed 
from  heaven  in  answer  to  sincere  and 
earnest  prayer.  As  stated  by  President 
Brigham  Young  on  one  occasion,  in 
answer  to  the  question  as  to  what  is 
the  difference  between  our  church  and 
other  churches,  "We  have  the  truth, 
the  Gospel  includes  all  truth,  wherever 


found,  in  all  the  works  of  God  and 
man,  visible  or  invisible  to  the  naked 
eye." 

I  want  to  express  appreciation  for 
my  wife,  my  family,  and  my  loved 
ones,  who  have  blessed  me  by  their 
love  and  confidence.  As  the  song  says, 
"No  man  is  an  island."  We  are  all,  in 
part  at  least,  the  product  of  our  en- 
vironment, the  result  of  the  influence 
upon  us  by  our  friends  and  associates, 
and  of  course  the  inheritance  we  ob- 
tained from  our  progenitors. 

I  am  thankful  for  the  library  of  the 
mind  and  the  rich  treasures  that  are 
stored  therein,  the  treasured  memory 
of  association  with  prophets  called  of 
the  Lord  in  this  dispensation,  and  the 
words  of  eternal  life  that  are  inspiring 
and  cause  me  to  rejoice  more  and  more 
each  day. 

I  am  highly  honored  and  yet  greatly 
subdued  in  my  feelings  that  I  should  be 
considered  worthy  of  the  love  and 
confidence  of  the  Lord  and  of  his  liv- 
ing prophets  to  receive  the  call  that 
has  come  to  me  to  serve  as  one  of  the 
chosen  servants  of  the  Lord.  I  am 
humbled  by  my  inadequacy,  and  my 
constant  prayer  is  and  will  be  that  the 


Lord  will  qualify  me  to  do  my  part  in 
assisting  in  the  rolling  forth  of  this 
great  work  in  which  we  are  engaged. 
I  love  the  Lord,  I  love  the  gospel,  and 
I   love  the  Brethren. 

I  bear  witness  that  God  lives;  that 
Jesus  is  his  Beloved  Son,  the  Redeemer 
and  Savior  of  the  world;  that  as  pro- 
claimed by  Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney 
Rigdon,  he  came  into  the  world,  even 
Jesus,  to  be  crucified  for  the  world,  to 
bear  the  sins  of  the  world,  and  to 
sanctify  it  from  all  unrighteousness; 
that  through  him  all  might  be  saved 
whom  the  Father  had  put  into  his 
power  and  made  by  him. 

I  testify  that  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
prophet  of  God  raised  up  in  this  dis- 
pensation, the  dispensation  of  the  ful- 
ness of  times,  to  lay  the  foundation  for 
this  great  work  upon  the  earth  prepara- 
tory to  the  coming  of  the  Son  of  Man, 
our  Lord  and  Savior,  to  reign  upon  the 
earth  in  peace  and  righteousness;  and 
that  these  men  of  whom  I  have  spoken 
have  been  called  of  God  to  represent 
our  Savior  in  building  up  the  Church 
and  kingdom  of  God  upon  the  earth. 
Of  these  things  I  testify  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  O 


TheSpiritand  Power  of  Elijah 


Elder  Theodore  M.  Burton 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


•  My  brethren,  sisters,  friends:  the 
focal  point  of  all  our  activity  in  this 
church  centers  around  Jesus  Christ. 
The  Church  bears  his  name.  All  ordi- 
nance work  done  in  the  Church  is  done 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ  by  those 
who  bear  the  priesthood,  i.e.,  who  hold 
this  power  of  Jesus  Christ. 

This  devout  worship  of  Jesus  Christ 
is  in  accord  with  the  instruction  given 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon,  where  King 
Benjamin  taught  his  people: 

"And  under  this  head  ye  are  made 
free,  and  there  is  no  other  head  where- 
by ye  can  be  made  free.  There  is  no 
other  name  given  whereby  salvation 
cometh.  .  .  ."  (Mosiah  5:8.) 

The  Book  of  Mormon  then  explains 
why  this  scripture  was  written:    "For 


we  labor  diligently  to  write,  to  per- 
suade our  children,  and  also  our 
brethren,  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  to 
be  reconciled  to  God;  for  we  know  that 
it  is  by  grace  that  we  are  saved,  after 
all  we  can  do."  (2  Ne.  25:23.) 

It  is  for  this  reason  that  the  Book 
of  Mormon  is  known  as  a  second  wit- 
ness of  the  divinity  of  Jesus  Christ  as 
the  Son  of  God. 

".  .  .  we  talk  of  Christ,  we  rejoice  in 
Christ,  we  preach  of  Christ,  we 
prophesy  of  Christ,  and  we  write  ac- 
cording to  our  prophecies,  that  our 
children  may  know  to  what  source  they 
may  look  for  a  remission  of  their  sins." 
(2  Ne.  25:26.) 

I  turn  then  to  Jesus  Christ  for  my 
subject  for  this  sermon.    Jesus  taught 


the  following  doctrine  one  Sabbath  day 
as  he  stood  up  in  the  synagogue  to 
teach  the  people  who  called  themselves 
the  children  of  God. 

"And  there  was  delivered  unto  him 
the  book  of  the  prophet  Esaias.  [We 
write  his  name  today  as  Isaiah.]  And 
when  he  had  opened  the  book,  he 
found  the  place  where  it  was  written, 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  is  upon  me, 
because  he  hath  anointed  me  to  preach 
the  gospel  to  the  poor;  he  hath  sent 
me  to  heal  the  brokenhearted,  to  preach 
deliverance  to  the  captives,  and  recov- 
ering of  sight  to  the  blind,  to  set  at 
liberty  them  that  are  bruised, 

"To  preach  the  acceptable  year  of 
the  Lord. 

"And  he  closed  the  book,   and  he 


Era,  December  1970    57 


gave  it  again  to  the  minister,  and  sat 
down.  And  the  eyes  of  all  them  that 
were  in  the  synagogue  were  fastened  on 
him. 

"And.  he  began  to  say  unto  them, 
This  day  is  this  scripture  fulfilled  in 
your  ears."  (Luke  4:17-21.) 

Such  a  statement  filled  his  listeners 
with  many  doubts  and  apprehensions, 
yet  the  doctrine  is  so  important  that  I 
would  like  to  quote  this  passage  again 
as  it  is  now  written  in  Isaiah: 

"The  Spirit  of  the  Lord  God  is  upon 
me;  because  the  Lord  hath  anointed 
me  to  preach  good  tidings  unto  the 
meek;  he  hath  sent  me  to  bind  up  the 
brokenhearted,  to  proclaim  liberty  to 
the  captives,  and  the  opening  of  the 
prison  to  them  that  are  bound; 

"To  proclaim  the  acceptable  year 
of  the  Lord,  and  the  day  of  vengeance 
of  our  God "  (Isa.  61:1-2.) 

It  is  amazing  to  see  what  happened 
in  the  minds  of  his  listeners  when 
Jesus  Christ  proclaimed  this  marvelous 
doctrine  and  told  the  people  that  this 
work  of  salvation  was  his  assigned  task. 

"And  all  they  in  the  synagogue, 
when  they  heard  these  things,  were 
filled  with  wrath, 

"And  rose  up,  and  thrust  him  out  of 
the  city,  and  led  him  unto  the  brow 
of  the  hill  whereon  their  city  was  built, 
that  they  might  cast  him  down  head- 
long. 

"But  he  passing  through  the  midst 
of  them  went  his  way."  (Luke  4:28-30.) 

Thus  Jesus  Christ  was  rejected  by 
the  people  because  he  told  them  what 
saving  work  he  would  do  for  the  cap- 
tives then  confined  to  a  spiritual  prison 
and  for  those  who  had  been  bruised 
in  their  souls  through  iniquity.  Instead 
of  rejoicing  in  this  liberation,  the 
people  hated  Jesus  for  being  so  pre- 
sumptuous as  to  tell  them  that  he  had 
been  anointed  to  open  the  prison  doors. 
Even  his  very  life  was  threatened. 
Nevertheless,  he  continued  to  preach 
this  doctrine  even  more  clearly,  in  the 
hopes  that  people  would  understand 
him  and  the  importance  of  the  work 
he  had  been  called  to  do.  Thus  he 
explained: 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  He 
that  heareth  my  word,  and  believeth 
on  him  that  sent  me,  hath  everlasting 
life,  and  shall  not  come  into  condem- 
nation; but  is  passed  from  death  unto 
life. 

"Verily,  verily  I  say  unto  you,  The 
hour  is  coming,  and  now  is,  when  the 
dead  shall  hear  the  voice  of  the  Son 
of  God:  and  they  that  hear  shall  live. 
"For  as  the  Father  hath  life  in  him- 
self; so  hath  he  given  to  the  Son  to 
have  life  in  himself."  (John  5:24-26.) 
It  was  for  this  concept  of  his  saving 
grace  that  Jesus  gave  his  life.  Peter 
informs  us  that  the  gospel  actually  was 


preached  to  those  who  were  dead,  just 
as  Jesus  prophesied  he  would  do. 
Jesus  actually  did  open  the  gates  of  the 
spiritual  prison,  that  those  confined 
therein  might  live  and  even  be  exalted 
if  they  would  accept  his  doctrine. 

"For  Christ  also  hath  once  suffered 
for  sins,  the  just  for  the  unjust,  that 
he  might  bring  us  to  God,  being  put 
to  death  in  the  flesh,  but  quickened  by 
the  Spirit: 

"By  which  also  he  went  and  preached 
unto  the  spirits  in  prison; 

"Which  sometimes  were  disobedient, 
when  once  the  longsuffering  of  God 
waited  in  the  days  of  Noah,  while  the 
ark  was  a  preparing,  wherein  few,  that 
is,  eight  souls  were  saved  by  water." 
(1  Pet.  3:18-20.) 

Peter  also  explained  why  Jesus  did 
this  work  for  the  dead: 

"For  for  this  cause  was  the  gospel 
preached  also  to  them  that  are  dead, 
that  they  might  be  judged  according 
to  men  in  the  flesh,  but  live  according 
to  God  in  the  spirit."  (1  Pet.  4:6.) 

Now,  how  does  all  this  affect  us? 
Perhaps  I  can  state  it  in  this  way.  If 
Jesus  Christ  made  such  a  point  of  stress- 
ing this  doctrine  in  his  day,  it  must 
be  just  as  important  for  us  in  our  day 
also.  Jesus  taught  that  it  was  important 
that  his  gospel  be  preached  to  those 
who  lived  before  he  was  born  as  well 
as  to  those  then  living.  It  must  be  just 
as  important  for  that  gospel  to  be 
preached  since  his  day  to  those  who 
have  died  without  hearing  these  glad 
tidings,  as  well  as  to  those  now  living 
on  the  earth. 

Where,  however,  in  the  so-called 
Christian  churches  of  our  day  do  you 
find  that  deep  concern  for  those  good 
men  and  women  who  died  without  a 
knowledge  of  the  gospel?  Far  from  be- 
ing considered,  they  are  ignored  by 
some  and  even  damned  by  others. 
Why  are  such  persons  condemned  to 
everlasting  damnation,  as  many  church 
leaders  have  done  in  the  past  and  still 
do  today,  simply  because  such  people 
were  born  at  a  time  and  in  a  place 
where  they  could  never  hear  of  Jesus 
Christ,  let  alone  learn  of  the  message 
of  the  resurrection  and  eternal  life? 

How  can  the  physically  dead  who 
nevertheless  still  live  in  the  spirit  be 
prepared  for  that  resurrection  which 
Paul  proclaimed  applied  to  every  per- 
son born  upon  this  earth?  This 
preaching  of  the  word  of  God  can  only 
be  done  in  the  way  in  which  Jesus 
taught  that  it  has  to  be  done.  We  who 
are  living  today  must  assist  in  this 
work  as  was  prophesied  by  Obadiah 
when  he  said  of  the  last  days: 

"And  saviours  shall  come  up  on 
mount  Zion  to  judge  the  mount  of 
Esau;  and  the  kingdom  shall  be  the 
Lord's."  (Obad.  21.) 


Thus,  those  living  today  must  per- 
form the  physical  ordinance  work  on 
the  earth  that  will  qualify  persons  in 
the  spirit  world  to  receive  that  proxy 
work  done  for  them,  even  as  we  living 
today  receive  the  proxy  work  done  for 
us  by  Jesus  Christ.  In  other  words,  we 
work  in  partnership  here  on  the  earth 
with  those  missionaries  in  the  spirit 
world  who  preach  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  to  those  persons  living  in  the 
spirit  world,  that  they  might  be  judged 
according  to  men  in  the  flesh.  This 
combination  effort  can  free  them  from 
their  spiritual  prison  and  heal  their 
bruised  souls  through  Jesus  Christ. 
This  is  why  the  members  of  the  Church 
who  can  qualify  through  righteous 
living  must  go  to  the  temple  in  ever- 
increasing  numbers  and  why  they 
must  attend  the  temple  more  fre- 
quently than  they  have  ever  done  in 
the  past. 

The  full  understanding  in  our  day 
of  the  importance  of  Christ's  work  for 
the  dead  as  well  as  for  the  living  came 
slowly.  Although  not  understood  fully 
at  the  time,  when  the  angel  Moroni 
came  to  teach  Joseph  Smith  at  the 
opening  of  this  gospel  dispensation,  he 
quoted  Malachi  as  follows: 

"Behold,  I  will  reveal  unto  you  the 
Priesthood  by  the  hand  of  Elijah  the 
prophet,  before  the  coming  of  the  great 
and  dreadful  day  of  the  Lord. 

"And  he  shall  plant  in  the  hearts 
of  the  children  the  promises  made  to 
the  fathers,  and  the  hearts  of  the  chil- 
dren shall  turn  to  their  fathers. 

"If  it  were  not  so,  the  whole  earth 
would  be  utterly  wasted  at  his  coming." 
(D&C  2:1-3.) 

Thus  it  was  the  power  of  the  priest- 
hood that  was  to  make  this  uniting  of 
all  generations  possible,  both  those 
dead  and  those  living.  The  power  to 
do  this  work  was  subject  to  the  restora- 
tion of  the  keys  controlling  the  sealing 
power  that  Elijah  was  to  give  again  to 
the  earth  when  so  requested  by  Jesus 
Christ. 

Before  the  Church  was  officially  es- 
tablished, when  the  so-called  "consti- 
tution" of  the  Church  was  laid  down 
by  revelation  in  Section  20  of  the  Doc- 
trine and  Covenants,  a  statement  of  the 
universality  of  the  mission  of  Jesus 
Christ  was  given  which  included  the 
dead  as  well  as  the  living: 

"Not  only  those  who  believed  after 
he  came  in  the  meridian  of  time,  in  the 
flesh,  but  all  those  from  the  beginning, 
even  as  many  as  were  before  he  came, 
.  .  .  should  have  eternal  life."  (D&C 
20:26.  Italics  added.) 

Much  of  the  work  we  do  in  the 
Church  is  preparatory  work  for  us  to 
qualify  ourselves  so  that  we  can  be  of 
service  not  only  to  our  fellowmen  now- 
living  on  the  earth,  but  to  those  who 


58 


lived  before  us.  These  good  men  and 
women  are  our  ancestors,  our  fathers 
and  our  mothers  through  whose  blood 
we  receive  our  bodies  and  our  life. 
What  a  debt  we  owe  them  to  see  that 
they  too  receive  eternal  life  in  Jesus 
Christ  through  the  work  and  sacrifices 
we  make  in  their  behalf. 

This  work  of  salvation  for  the  dead 
is  so  important  that  Paul  stated  that 
they  who  are  dead  cannot  be  made 
perfect  without  our  help.  (Heb.  11:40.) 
Joseph  Smith  added  that  neither  can 
we  be  made  perfect  without  doing 
proxy  ordinance  work  for  our  deceased 
ancestors.  (D&C  128:18.)  The  power 
of  the  priesthood  was  restored  so  that 
this  perfection  in  uniting  all  the  family 
of  God  who  lived  in  all  ages  could  be 
accomplished.  This  priesthood  power 
was  given  when  Elijah  restored  the 
sealing  power  to  Joseph  Smith  in  these 
latter  days  so  that  the  work  of  perfec- 


tion could  be  continued.  As  Joseph 
Smith  said: 

"Then  what  you  seal  on  earth,  by 
the  keys  of  Elijah,  is  sealed  in  heaven; 
'and  this  is  the  power  of  Elijah,  and  this 
is  the  difference  between  the  spirit  and 
power  of  Elias  and  Elijah;  for  while 
the  spirit  of  Elias  is  a  forerunner,  the 
power  of  Elijah  is  sufficient  to  make 
our  calling  and  election  sure;  and  the 
same  doctrine,  where  we  are  exhorted  to 
go  on  to  perfection,  not  laying  again 
the  foundation  of  repentance  from  dead 
works,  and  of  laying  on  of  hands,  resur- 
rection of  the  dead,  &c. 

"We  cannot  be  perfect  without  our 
fathers,  &c.  We  must  have  revelation 
from  them,  and  we  can  see  that  the 
doctrine  of  revelation  far  transcends  the 
doctrine  of  no  revelation;  for  one  truth 
revealed  from  heaven  is  worth  all  the 
sectarian  notions  in  existence."  (Joseph 
Fielding    Smith,     Teachings     of     the 


Prophet  Joseph  Smith  [12th  ed.;  Salt 
Lake  City:  Deseret  Book  Company, 
1961],  p.  338.  Italics  added.) 

I  testify  of  the  need  to  understand 
the  importance  of  this  work  of  Elijah 
— this  work  of  salvation  for  the  dead 
as  well  as  for  the  living.  I  testify  of  the 
divinity  of  this  doctrine  of  Jesus  Christ, 
which  applies  to  both  those  living  and 
those  dead.  I  testify  of  the  power  of 
the  priesthood  by  which  revelation 
is  received  and  say  that  Elias  has  al- 
ready come  and  so  has  Elijah.  The 
keys  they  revealed  are  being  used  to- 
day in  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  to  do  the  total  work 
of  salvation  for  which  Jesus  Christ  gave 
his  life  to  accomplish.  Thus  through 
this  doctrine  and  through  this  priest- 
hood power  we  can  unite  the  whole 
family  of  God  into  everlasting  life. 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  Years  ago  while  walking  with  a  wise 
friend  of  mine,  we  passed  one  of  his 
neighbors  as  he  stood  in  the  front  yard 
of  his  home.  My  friend  greeted  the 
man  with,  "How  are  you,  Bill?  It's 
good  to  see  you."  To  this  greeting,  Bill 
didn't  even  look  up.  He  didn't  even 
respond. 

"He  is  an  old  grouch  today,  isn't 
he?"  I  snapped. 

"Oh,  he  is  always  that  way,"  my 
friend  responded. 

"Then  why  are  you  so  friendly  to 
him?"  I  asked. 

"Why  not?"  responded  my  mature 
friend.  "Why  should  I  let  him  decide 
how  I  am  going  to  act?" 

I  hope  I  will  never  forget  the  lesson 
of  that  evening.  The  important  word 
was  "act."  My  friend  acted  toward 
people.  Most  of  us  react.  At  the  time 
it  was  a  strange  attitude  to  me,  because 
I  was  in  grade  school  and  following 
the   practice    of   "if   you   speak   to   an 


acquaintance  and  he  does  not  respond, 
that  is  the  last  time  you  have  to 
bother,"  or  "if  someone  shoves  you  on 
the  school  playground,  you  shove  him 
back." 

I  have  thought  many  times  since 
this  experience  that  many  of  us  are 
perpetual  reactors.  We  let  other  people 
determine  our  actions  and  attitudes. 
We  let  other  people  determine  whether 
we  will  be  rude  or  gracious,  depressed 
or  elated,  critical  or  loyal,  passive  or 
dedicated. 

Do  you  know  people  who  are  cool 
toward  an  acquaintance  because  last 
time  they  met  she  wasn't  warm  in  her 
greeting?  Do  you  know  people  who 
have  quit  praying  to  the  Lord  because 
he  hasn't  answered  (so  they  think) 
their  prayers  of  last  month  or  last  year? 
Do  you  know  people  who  give  up  on 
others  because  they  don't  respond  in 
the  ways  we  think  they  should?  Do 
you  know  people  who  fail  to  realize 


that  Christlike  behavior  patterns  en- 
courage us  to  be  the'  same  yesterday 
and  forever? 

The  perpetual  reactor  is  an  unhappy 
person.  His  center  of  personal  conduct 
is  not  rooted  within  himself,  where  it 
belongs,  but  in  the  world  about  him. 
Some  of  us  on  occasion  seem  to  be 
standing  on  the  sidelines  waiting  for 
someone  to  hurt,  ignore,  or  offend  us. 
We  are  perpetual  reactors.  What  a 
happy  day  it  will  be  when  we  can 
replace  hasty  reaction  with  patience 
and  purposeful  action. 

I  am  acquainted  with  a  man  who 
has  a  brother  serving  time  in  a  state 
penitentiary.  On  several  occasions  I 
have  asked  this  friend  of  mine  to 
accompany  me  to  visit  his  confined 
family  member.  When  asked  most  re- 
cently, he  responded  with  an  emphatic, 
"No,  I  don't  want  to  go.  It's  no  use. 
He  won't  talk.  He  won't  listen.  He's 
no  good.   He  will  never  change."   His 


Era,  December  1970     59 


last  statement,  "He  will  never  change," 
prompted  me  to  think,  "and  apparently 
neither  will  you." 

This  man  is  allowing  his  confined 
hrother  to  control  his  actions;  in  fact, 
he  has  created  a  negative  attitude  in 
his  relationship.  The  free  man  has  not 
maintained  a  positive  drive  to  do  what 
he  feels  is  right;  instead,  his  brother 
has  set  the  pace  for  both  of  them — no 
communication,  no  visits,  no  change 
in  either  life. 

What  a  pleasure  it  is  today  to  be 
part  of  a  great  action  program  in  the 
Church  that  makes  it  possible  for  us 
to  take  a  prisoner  or  others  with  social 
problems  from  the  level  we  find  them 
and  help  them  move  forward.  Our  con- 
cern must  be  to  impress  our  associates 
with  the  fact  there  is  a  better  tomor- 
row, and  it  belongs  to  those  who  live 
for  it!  Forgiveness  and  repentance  are 
action  principles.  What  a  blessing  it 
is  in  our  lives  when  we  come  to  realize 
there  is  hope  and  help  for  all  of  us 
in  the  days  ahead,  regardless  of  where 
we  find  ourselves  at  this  hour. 

When  Jim  Lovell  of  Apollo  13 
radioed  across  almost  a  quarter  of  a 
million  miles  of  space  to  Houston, 
Texas,  a  few  months  ago  that  some- 
thing had  gone  wrong  in  their  space- 
craft, he  taught  the  world  a  mighty 
lesson  with  his  statement:  "We've  got 
a  problem."  Here  were  three  brave 
men  on  a  voyage  to  the  moon  faced 
with  the  staggering  realization  they 
might  never  see  the  earth  again.  Some- 
thing had  gone  wrong.  What  do  they 
do  now?  Act  or  react?  Instead  of 
demanding,  "Who's  responsible  for  this 
error?"  his  statement,  "We've  got  a 
problem,"  rallied  our  best  to  their 
.support.  When  Jim  Lovell  and  his 
crewmates  were  later  asked  if  they  had 
fears  of  not  reaching  earth  again,  they 


responded  that  they  just  concentrated 
on  the  jobs  they  had  to  do.  They  did 
everything  in  their  power  to  get  back 
to  earth.  A  terrifying  problem  was 
theirs,  but  they  were  determined  to 
handle  it  a  step  at  a  time,  and  hoped 
and  prayed  their  efforts  would  succeed. 
Through  action  they  overcame  fear; 
through  action  and  teamwork  they 
triumphed.  What  happened  is  history, 
but  the  lesson  of  action  is  for  our  use 
today. 

Shakespeare  had  a  glimpse  of  the 
importance  of  man's  personal  action 
when  he  wrote  the  following  lines  in 
Hamlet:  "This  above  all:  to  thine  own 
self  be  true,  And  it  must  follow,  as  the 
night  the  day,  Thou  canst  not  then  be 
false  to  any  man."  (Hamlet,  Act  2, 
sc.  3.) 

Being  true  to  ourselves  can  mean 
knowing  where  we  are,  where  we  are 
going  and  why,  and  assisting  our  asso- 
ciates in  traveling  the  right  paths 
with  us. 

Scriptures  such  as  "be  ye  doers  of 
the  word  .  .  ."  (Jas.  1:22),  and  "But 
my  disciples  shall  stand  in  holy  places, 
and  shall  not  be  moved  .  .  ."  (D&C 
45:32)  take  on  new  significance  as  we 
realize  our  responsibility  to  act  and 
not  react. 

Our  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  was  a 
man  of  action.  Torture,  belittlement, 
and  all  manner  of  inhumane  affliction, 
including  a  pending  martyr's  death, 
did  not  halt  nor  even  slow  down  his 
life  of  purposeful  action.  He  acted  as 
one  totally  committed  to  "I  am  not 
ashamed  of  the  gospel  of  Christ:  for  it 
is  the  power  of  God  unto  salvation. .  .  ." 
(Rom.  1:16.)  He  didn't  just  think 
about  the  gospel  or  react  to  it;  he  lived 
it.  He  was  true  to  himself  and  to  those 
principles  he  valued  more  than  life 
itself. 


The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  pur- 
poseful action.  "Ask,"  "Seek,"  "Knock," 
and  "Judge  not"  and  "Love"  are  words 
of  action,  not  reaction.  Jesus  led  his 
fellowmen  as  a  mighty  master  because 
"he  taught  them  as  one  having  author- 
ity, and  not  as  the  scribes."  (Matt. 
7:29.)  Jesus  was  true  to  himself  and 
to  his  Father;  and  so  important  to  all 
of  us,  he  was  true  to  us. 

How  weak  the  following  reaction 
philosophies  are:  "See  if  your  neighbor 
loves  you  first  before  you  manifest  love 
toward  him."  "See  if  your  acquaintance 
is  friendly  before  you  offer  your  friend- 
ship." How  powerful  the  action  com- 
mandment of  "Thou  shalt  love  thy 
neighbour  as  thyself." 

I  humbly  pray  that  we  may  be  men 
and  women  of  action,  and  not  let  any- 
one else  lead  us  from  his  paths.  If  we 
follow  the  teachings  of  this  great  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  to  the  fullest  of  our 
ability,  it  can  truthfully  be  said  of  us, 
through  our  actions  also,  that  we  "in- 
creased in  wisdom  and  stature,  and  in 
favour  with  God  and  man."  (Luke 
2:52.) 

We  start  to  fail  in  our  homes  when 
we  give  up  on  a  family  member.  We 
fail  in  our  positions  of  leadership  when 
we  react  by  saying,  "It's  no  use,  they 
won't  come."  "It's  no  use,  they  won't 
respond."  Let  us  thrust  in  our  sickles 
with  all  of  our  might  in  the  fields  in 
which  we  have  been  called,  and  not 
spend  our  time  reacting  to  the  location 
or  type  of  crop  we  have  been  called  to 
harvest. 

I  bear  witness  to  you  that  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  is  ah  action  way  of  life 
and  that  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is 
true.  May  our  Heavenly  Father  help 
us  to  actively  be  about  his  business  I 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  My  brethren  and  sisters:  How  de- 
lightful it  is  to  be  here  today.  Sometime 
ago  Brother  Guy  B.  Rose,  who  is 
usually  present  on  the  front  row  of 
these  meetings,  told  me  of  an  inter- 
esting experience  in  his  work.  He  had 
been    a    superintendent   of   schools   in 


the  East.  One  day  as  he  visited  one  of 
the  classes  in  a  school,  the  teacher  had 
the  students  drawing  on  the  board 
something  that  would  be  representative 
of  Thanksgiving.  All  were  busy  com- 
pleting their  sketches,  but  one  child 
was   obviously  concerned   about   what 


she  was  to  do  in  completing  what  she 
had  started.  As  Brother  Rose  ap- 
proached her,  he  asked  if  she  was  hav- 
ing trouble.  She  said,  "Yes.  How  do 
you  draw  God?"  She  had  ably  por- 
trayed the  mountains,  the  trees,  and  the 
boy   kneeling   under    the   trees    in    an 


60 


attitude  of  prayer  but  was  confused  as 
to  how  to  draw  God.  Brother  Rose 
quickly  assured  her  that  God  was  a 
man,  that  he  looked  much  like  men 
on  earth,  that  men  are  created  in  the 
image  of  God. 

Men  everywhere  seem  to  be  con- 
fused as  to  what  God  is  like.  Strange, 
incomprehensible  concepts  of  God  have 
been  taught  apparently  to  enlighten 
men,  but  in  their  uncertainness  they 
only  tend  to  further  confuse  men. 

The  Reverend  Harold  O.  }.  Brown, 
in  his  book  The  Protest  of  a  Troubled 
Protestant,  expresses  his  concern  over 
the  fact  that  in  many  of  the  pulpits 
today,  ministers  are  getting  away  from 
the  strict  concepts  of  the  Bible.  He 
said,  "People  are  being  converted  to 
the  most  fanciful  cults  from  the  very 
parishes  in  which  the  clergy  are  un- 
willing to  preach  historic  Christian 
doctrine.  They  fear  being  thought  out- 
of-date  and  therefore  incredible."  (Pp. 
20-21.) 

As  Paul  came  to  the  Athenian  saints, 
he  found  them  worshiping  false  gods 
and  called  them  to  repentance.  He 
said:  "...  I  perceive  that  in  all  things 
ye  are  too  superstitious. 

"For  as  I  passed  by,  and  beheld  your 
devotions,  I  found  an  altar  with  this 
inscription,  TO  THE  UNKNOWN 
GOD.  Whom  therefore  ye  ignorantly 
worship,  him  declare  I  unto  you. 

"God  that  made  the  world  and  all 
things  therein,  seeing  that  he  is  Lord 
of  heaven  and  earth,  dwelleth  not  in 
temples  made  with  hands; 

".  .  .  as  though  he  needed  any  thing, 
seeing  he  giveth  to  all  life,  and  breath, 
and  all  things; 

"For  in  him  we  live,  and  move,  and 
have  our  being;  as  certain  also  of  your 
own  poets  have  said,  For  we  are  also 
his  offspring. 

"Forasmuch  then  as  we  are  the  off- 
spring of  God,  we  ought  not  to  think 
that  the  Godhead  is  like  unto  gold,  or 
silver,  or  stone,  graven  by  art  and 
man's  device. 

"And  the  times  of  this  ignorance 
God  winked  at;  but  now  commandeth 
all  men  every  where  to  repent."  (Acts 
17:22-25,  28-30.) 

The  Savior  indicated  the  great  im- 
portance of  knowing  God,  as  he  prayed 
unto  the  Father  before  his  crucifixion: 
"And  this  is  life  eternal,  that  they 
might  know  thee  the  only  true  God. 
and  Jesus  Christ,  whom  thou  hast 
sent."  (John  17:3.) 

The  Prophet  Joseph  Smith  taught, 
"It  is  the  first  principle  of  the  Gospel 
to  know  for  a  certainty  the  Character 
of  God,  and  to  know  that  we  may 
converse  with  him  as  one  man  con- 
verses with  another,  and  that  he  was 
once  a  man  like  us;  yea,  that  God 
himself,  the  Father  of  us  all,  dwelt  on 


an  earth,  the  same  as  Jesus  Christ 
himself  did."  (Teachings  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  pp.  345-46.) 

The  scriptures  are  clear  as  they 
teach  us  of  God.  In  the  story  of  the 
creation  as  recorded  in  Genesis,  it 
states:  "And  God  said,  Let  us  make 
man  in  our  image,  after  our  likeness: 
and  let  them  have  dominion  over  the 
fish  of  the  sea,  and  over  the  fowl  of 
the  air,  and  over  the  cattle,  and  over 
all  the  earth,  and  over  every  creeping 
thing  that  creepeth  upon  the  earth. 

"So  God  created  man  in  his  own 
image,  in  the  image  of  God  created 
he  him;  male  and  female  created  he 
them."   (Gen.  1:26-27.) 

Jesus  spoke  of  God  as  a  just  and  lov- 
ing Father,  dwelling  in  the  heavens. 
His  teachings  were  explicit  as  to  the 
nature  and  character  of  God  the 
Father.  Unto  Thomas  he  said:  "If  ye 
had  known  me,  ye  should  have  known 
my  Father  also:  and  from  henceforth 
ye  know  him,  and  have  seen  him." 
(John  14:7.) 

Philip  said  unto  the  Lord:  ".  .  .  shew 
us  the  Father,  and  it  sufficeth  us. 

"Jesus  saith  unto  him,  Have  I  been 
so  long  time  with  you,  and  yet  hast 
thou  not  known  me,  Philip?  he  that 
hath  seen  me  hath  seen  the  Father; 
and  how  sayest  thou  then,  Shew  us 
the  Father?"  (John  14:8-9.) 

Paul  plainly  told  the  Hebrew  saints 
that  Christ  was  in  the  image  of  God. 
"God,  who  at  sundry  times  and  in 
divers  manners  spake  in  time  past  unto 
the  fathers  by  the  prophets, 

"Hath  in  these  last  days  spoken  unto 
us  by  his  Son,  whom  he  hath  appointed 
heir  of  all  things,  by  whom  also  he 
made  the  worlds; 

"Who  being  the  brightness  of  his 
glory,  and  the  express  image  of  his 
person,  and  upholding  all  things  by 
the  word  of  his  power,  when  he  had 
by  himself  purged  our  sins,  sat  down 
on  the  right  hand  of  the  Majesty  on 
high."  (Heb.  1:1-3.) 

I  believe  sincerely  that  our  faith  in 
God,  our  works  of  righteousness,  and 
our  sincerity  of  purpose  are  greatly 
determined  by  our  concept  and  under- 
standing of  God.  If,  like  the  young 
lady  trying  to  draw  God,  I  can't  visual- 
ize him,  if  I  don't  really  know  him, 
how  can  my  faith  in  him  be  strong? 
How  can  I  really  pray  to  someone  I 
don't  know? 

It  is  really  "life  eternal"  to  know 
God;  that  he  is  a  personal  being;  that 
he  is  the  Father  of  our  spirits;  that  we 
are  his  children;  that  he  has  concern 
for  us;  that  there  is  a  meaningful  plan 
in  which  we  might  regain  his  presence 
and  have  eternal  life  with  him. 

The  understanding  of  the  nature  of 
God  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ  was  im- 
pressed upon  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith 


in  the  first  vision,  in  the  opening  of 
this  dispensation,  in  which  he  saw  the 
Father  and  the  Son.  Whatever  his  con- 
cept of  God  might  have  been,  there 
was  now  no  doubt  in  his  mind  as  to 
God  and  Christ.  This  understanding 
was  his  because  he  saw  them  and 
heard  and  conversed  with  them.  The 
Father  spoke  to  him  and  introduced  the 


Son.  Listen  to  the  words  of  the  Prophet 
Joseph  as  he  describes  his  vision:  .  .  . 
When  the  light  rested  upon  me  I  saw 
two  Personages,  whose  brightness  and 
glory  defy  all  description,  standing 
above  me  in  the  air.  One  of  them 
spake  unto  me,  calling  me  by  name 
and  said,  pointing  to  the  other — This 
is  My  Beloved  Son.  Hear  Him!" 
(Joseph  Smith  2:17.) 

In  a  revelation  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  in  1843,  it  is  declared:  "The 
Father  has  a  body  of  flesh  and  bones 
as  tangible  as  man's;  the  Son  also; 
but  the  Holy  Ghost  has  not  a  body  of 
flesh  and  bones,  but  is  a  personage  of 
Spirit.  Were  it  not  so,  the  Holy  Ghost 
could  not  dwell  in  us."  (D&C  130:22.) 

It  is  necessary  to  believe  in  God  as  a 
personal,  corporeal  being  in  order  to 
understand  that  he  can  reveal  himself 
to  man  as  he  did  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  in  open  vision.  One  who 
doesn't  believe  in  a  personal  God  may 
also  believe  in  revelation,  but  it  would 
be  the  kind  of  revelation  that  would  be 
compatible  with  his  concept  of  God. 
Brother  William  E.  Berrett  made  an 
interesting  observation  as  to  the  im- 
portance of  our  concept  of  the  nature 
of  God  in  .reference  to  revelation.  He 
said:  "Any  discussion  of  revelation  re- 
volves basically  around  our  concept  of 
the  nature  of  God.  Unless  we  conceive 
God  in  the  same  light  we  never  arrive 
at  the  same  conclusions  in  regard  to 
revelation." 

Brother  Berrett  illustrates  this 
thought  by  referring  to  the  viewpoint 
of  a  great  contemporary  thinker  in  the 


Era,  December  1970    61 


field  of  religion,  Dr.  Henry  Wieman 
of  the  University  of  Chicago. 

"Both  Dr.  Wieman  and  I,"  he  said, 
"believe  in  God,  but  our  concepts  are 
wholly  different,  for  I  conceive  God  as 
a  perfected  corporeal  personality,  while 
Dr.  Wieman  would  think  the  idea  of 
a  personal  God  as  juvenile,  and  for 
himself  conceives  Him  as  the  sum 
total  of  all  that  is  good  and  progressive 
in  the  Universe.    To  quote  his  words: 

"  'God  is  not  a  personality,  but  God 
is  more  worthful  than  any  personality 
could  be.  God  is  not  nature  and  He 
is  not  the  universe;  He  is  the  growth 
of  living  connections  of  value  in  the 
universe.  If  one  wishes  he  can  say, 
this  is  not  God  but  it  is  the  work  of 
God.  Practically  it  comes  to  the  same 
thing.'  " 

Elder  Berrett  continues,  "Having  di- 
vergent views  as  to  the  personality  of 
God  it  follows  that  we  must  have 
divergent  views  upon  the  matter  of 
revelation  from  Him.  Both  Dr.  Wie- 
man and  I  believe  in  revelation  as  a 
continuous  principle  of  life  but  when 
we  use  that  term  we  are  thinking  of 
entirely  different  things.  Dr.  Wieman 
would  not  accept  such  a  vision,  as  that 
to  Joseph  Smith  in  the  grove  because 
it  does  violence  to  his  concept  of  God. 


He  would  reject  the  reality  of  heavenly 
messengers,  and  the  reality  of  any 
direct  words  from  God  to  man.  .  .  . 

"This  then  is  the  real  nature  and 
place  of  revelation.  It  is  not  a  miracu- 
lous giving  of  knowledge.  But  it  is 
that  change  in  personality  which,  in 
one  way  or  another,  is  required  before 
man  can  get  any  knowledge  of  any- 
thing that  lies  outside  the  range  of  his 
established  organization  of  interest.  It 
is  a  reorganization  of  his  interests 
which  enables  him  to  know  a  new 
kind  of  reality,"  (From  an  address 
given  at  LDS  Department  of  Educa- 
tion Regional  Convention,  November 
8,  1941,  in  William  E.  Berrett,  Con- 
tinuous Revelation  in  the  Church, 
p.  6.) 

Not  only  is  it  important  in  our 
understanding  of  revelation  to  know 
God,  but  our  understanding  of  all  the 
principles  of  the  gospel  are  greatly  in- 
fluenced by  our  concept  of  him  as  a 
personal,  loving  Father  and  of  the  great 
plan  of  salvation  that  he  has  provided 
for  all  his  children.  The  kind  of  a 
God  as  described  by  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  makes  me  understand  him  as 
my  literal  Father  in  heaven.   He  said: 

"God  himself  was  once  as  we  are 
now,  and  is  an  exalted  man,  and  sits 


enthroned  in  yonder  heavens!  That  is 
the  great  secret.  If  the  veil  were 
rent  today,  and  the  great  God,  who 
holds  this  world  in  its  orbit,  and 
who  holds  all  worlds  and  all  things  by 
His  power,  was  to  make  himself  visible 
— I  say,  if  you  were  to  see  him  today, 
you  would  see  him  like  a  man  in  form — 
like  yourselves  in  all  the  person,  image, 
and  very  form  as  a  man;  for  Adam  was 
created  in  the  very  fashion,  image  and 
likeness  of  God,  and  received  instruc- 
tion from,  and  walked,  talked  and 
conversed  with  Him,  as  one  man  talks 
and  communes  with  another."  (Docu- 
mentary History  of  the  Church,  vol.  6, 
p.  305.) 

In  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount,  the 
Savior  gave  us  the  key  as  to  the  need 
of  really  knowing  the  Father  when 
he  said:  "Be  ye  therefore  perfect,  even 
as  your  Father  which  is  in  heaven  is 
perfect."  (Matt.  5:48.) 

It  is  man's  purpose  in  life  to  learn 
to  know  God,  to  know  the  nature  and 
kind  of  being  God  is,  and  then  to  con- 
form to  his  laws  and  ordinances;  to 
progress,  to  be  exalted  to  that  high 
state  wherein  man  becomes  perfect  as 
the  Father  is  perfect. 

May  we  be  able  to  do  this,  I  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.     O 


•  I  remember  a  story  told  by  a  forest 
ranger  about  a  tourist  coming  to  a  na- 
tional park  to  take  pictures  of  wildlife. 
Not  far  from  the  campground  he  found 
what  he  was  looking  for — twin  bear 
cubs  rummaging  around  in  a  garbage 
dump,  half  playing,  half  looking  for 
dinner.  Grabbing  his  camera,  he  pro- 
ceeded to  take  a  series  of  pictures  from 
a  number  of  different  angles.  In  his 
haste,  he  failed  to  realize  that  when 
you  find  bear  cubs  in  the  forest,  the 
mother  bear  is  never  very  far  away. 


As  he  moved  to  get  a  close-up  shot 
of  the  playful  cubs,  he  inadvertently 
came  between  the  cubs  and  the  mother 
bear,  who  was  in  the  trees  a  short  dis- 
tance off.  The  bear  struck  out  imme- 
diately for  her  cubs,  and  a  near 
disaster  was  averted  when  a  passerby, 
noticing  the  scene,  alerted  the  tourist, 
who  demonstrated  unusual  athletic 
ability  as  he  vacated  the  garbage  pit. 

We  often  hear  of  the  ferocity  with 
which  animals  protect  their  young,  and 
usually  these  stories  are  associated  with 


incidents  about  parents  who  for  some 
unexplainable  reason  abandon  their 
children.  While  these  actions  can  and 
should  be  condemned,  nonetheless,  we 
seem  to  live  in  a  day  and  age  where 
there  is  another  kind  of  abandonment, 
which  is  almost  worse  than  a  mother 
leaving  an  unwanted  baby  on  a  door- 
step. 

What  I  am  talking  about  is  the 
temptation  of  parents  to  give  up  on 
their  children,  especially  when  those 
children  seem  to  flaunt  and  disregard 


62 


the  laws  of  morality  and  conduct, 
which  the  parents  hold  dear  and  which 
govern  the  home,  and  when  the  chil- 
dren seem  to  rebel  against  every  effort 
parents  make  to  correct  their  behavior 
or  show  them  a  better  way. 

At  least  a  baby  who  has  been  left  on 
a  doorstep  will  be  looked  after  by  the 
appropriate  agencies,  and  usually 
placed  in  a  home  where  parents  who 
want  it  will  adopt  it  and  love  it  and 
raise  it  as  their  own. 

A  boy  or  a  girl  who  has  been  given 
up  by  his  or  her  parents  because  they 
(the  children)  are  off  on  the  wrong 
foot  and  possibly  even  surly  and  re- 
bellious to  any  parental  effort  is  in  a 
much  more  serious  predicament.  When 
the  hard  times  come — and  they  will — 
who  is  going  to  care  if  the  parents 
don't? 

The  tragedy  of  our  times  as  we  look 
around  us  is  that  we  see  too  many 
young  people  cut  adrift — some  of  them 
in  trouble  and  some  of  them  causing 
trouble  for  society.  Perhaps  it  is  hard 
to  realize  that  our  Eternal  Father  also 
refers  to  these  as  son  or  daughter;  and 
if  we  are  to  understand  the  parable  of 
the  lost  sheep,  perhaps  they  are  even 
a  little  more  important  to  him  in  that 
they  are  not  safely  in  the  fold. 

Society  has  given  us  a  thousand  rea- 
sons why  some  begin  to  rebel  and 
wander.  Yet, -I  can't  help  but  feel  that 
in  many  cases  it  all  must  come  back  to 
those  who  gave  them  life  and  those 
who  somewhere  along  the  line  gave 
up  on  them,  either  by  deserting  them  or 
ignoring  them  or  simply  not  caring 
enough  to  build  their  children  into 
their  lives. 

I  had  a  young  girl  come  in  to  see  me 
the  other  day,  a  beautiful  girl,  neat 
and  clean,  giving  a  good  appearance. 
But  the  story  she  told  was  anything  but 
clean,  and  far  from  beautiful. 

From  her  early  teenage  years,  she 
had  become  involved  in  drugs.  It  be- 
came so  bad  that  at  one  time  in  her 
life  she  had  moved  away  from  her 
family  and  was  more  or  less  drifting 
from  one  pot  party  to  another.  She  had 
taken  up  the  so-called  hippie  culture 
and  was  high  on  drugs  most  of  the 
time. 

"Strangely  enough,"  she  says,  "dur- 
ing all  this  time  my  father  never  gave 
up  on  me,  and  although  I  knew  I  was 
breaking  my  parents'  hearts,  I  could 
always  go  home  to  my  father  and  know 
that  he  loved  me,  and  that  he  wouldn't 
condemn  me  as  an  individual,  although 
he  condemned  everything  that  I  did." 

This  girl  went  on  to  say  that  one 
night  she  had  what  she  called  a  bad 
trip;  I  believe  she  referred  to  it  as 
"freaking  out."  She  said  it  was  such  a 
terrifying  experience  that  she  went 
home  to  her  parents  and  spent  the  rest 


of  the  night  in  bed  with  them,  just  as 
she  must  have  done  as  a  child  when 
she  had  a  nightmare.  She  had  no  real 
rest  until  her  father  finally  gave  her 
a  blessing,  which  seemed  to  ease  her 
mental  and  physical  torture. 

This  happened  to  be  the  turning 
point  in  this  girl's  life.  She  said  she 
always  knew  it  was  wrong  but  was  just 
determined  to  rebel.  Bit  by  bit  she  has 
now  put  her  life  back  together  again, 
and  although  she  still  has  a  way  to  go, 
she  is  going  to  make  it  now. 

She  had  a  father,  you  see,  who  never 
gave  up  on  her. 

Another  experience  comes  to  mind 
about  a  mother  and  her  18-year-old 
son,  not  of  our  faith.  Let  me  quote  her 
story. 

"Three  years  ago  my  son  made  a  new 
friend — his  first  link  with  'the  drug 
scene.'  I  tried  very  hard  to  let  him 
know  what  this  boy  was  and  to  say, 
'You  don't  need  drugs  in  your  life.' 
But  he  ignored  me.  Aside  from  mov- 
ing away,  there  seemed  to  be  nothing 
I  could  do. 

"As  my  noes  became  more  numerous, 
his  rejections  became  unbearable.  .  .  . 
One  night  at  the  dinner  table  he  an- 
nounced, 'I  won't  obey  the  rules  in  this 
house  any  longer.'  He  said  that  as  soon 
as  he  saved  enough  money,  in  about 
three  months,  he  was  going  to  move 
out.  'Until  then,'  he  said,  Tm  going 
to  say  what  I  want  to  say,  smoke  what 
I  want  to  smoke.'  " 

The  mother  said  she  got  up  from  the 


table,  walked  down  the  hall,  and  then 
came  back  and  said,  "I've  got  news  for 
you,  son.  Either  you  abide  by  the  rules 
or  you  can  find  a  room  elsewhere  in 
three  days,  not  three  months." 

He  was  shocked.  But  the  next  day  he 
did  get  a  job,  and  he  soon  moved  out. 
Leaving  home,  however,  did  not  mean 
giving  up  membership  in  the  family. 
"I  let  him  know  that  the  door  was 
always  open,"  she  said.  "I  went  to  see 
his  new  apartment,  took  an  interest  in 
his  new  job,  invited  him  for  a  snack 
when  he  finished  moving  his  things 
out.  And  he  knew  that  coming  home 
would  never  be  interpreted  as  a  defeat 
for  him,  but  as  a  new  decision. 

"He  had  several  jobs,"  said  the 
mother;  "one  in  a  restaurant.  But 
while  he  was  working  out  problems  for 
himself,  he  also  was  ready  to  put  him- 
self out  to  help  others.  Eventually  he 
became  a  full-time  staff  member  at 
Project  Place,  a  center  for  runaways 
and  people  with  drug  problems. 

"From  time  to  time,  he  would  come 
to  see  me,"  continued  the  mother,  "and 
I  would  ask  him,  'Where  are  you  at? 
Are  you  ready  to  come  home?'  One  day 
he  decided  he  was,  and  he  moved  back 
in.  He  had  lost  his  preoccupation  with 
drugs." 

Then  the  mother  made  a  very  signifi- 
cant point.  She  said,  "My  son  has 
made  some  mistakes,  experienced  some 
pain  he  probably  didn't  have  to,  but  I 
think  he  has  come  out  rejecting  what's 
wrong  in  the  world  and  taking  upon 


Era,  December  1970    63 


himself  what  is  real  and  beautiful.  .  .  . 
I  think  a  child  has  a  right  to  be  right 
and  a  right  to  be  wrong,  and  to  know 
that  his  parents  will  stay  with  him 
through  it  all."  (Christian  Science 
Monitor,  September  9,   1970.) 

Perhaps  you  remember  a  story  that 
took  place  a  few  months  ago.  It  ap- 
peared in  most  of  the  newspapers.  A 
little  girl  was  found  clinging  to  a  fence 
that  divides  a  super  freeway  in  one  of 
the  world's  largest  cities.  The  police 
were  summoned,  and  as  they  brought 
the  girl  to  safety,  she  unfolded  this 
pathetic  story. 

It  was  her  parents,  you  see,  who  put 
her  there.  They  had  said,  "Now  hang 
on  to  the  fence  and  don't  let  go  for  any 
reason."    Then  the  parents  drove  off, 


planning  to  desert  her.  The  newspaper 
account  was  graphic.  You  could  pic- 
ture the  little  girl,  a  tear  in  her  eye, 
lower  lip  quivering,  but  holding  fast 
to  the  rail  as  cars  and  huge  trucks 
went  roaring  by  on  each  side,  not  dar- 
ing to  let  go  because  daddy  had  told 
her  to  hold  on — standing  there  deter- 
mined, waiting  patiently,  for  a  mother 
and  father  who  never  intended  to 
return. 

Oh,  parents,  no  matter  what  the  dif- 
ficulty,-may  we  never  desert  our  chil- 
dren in  some  dark  and  dangerous 
thoroughfare  of  life,  no  matter  what 
prompted  them  to  get  there.  When 
they  reach  the  point — and  for  some  it 
may  be  a  painfully  long  time — when 
they  reach  the  point  that  they  need  us. 


I  pray  that  we  might  not  let  them 
down. 

".  .  .  But  when  he  was  yet  a  great 
way  off,  his  father  saw  him,  and  had 
compassion,  and  ran,  and  fell  on  his 
neck,  and  kissed  him. 

"And  the  son  said  unto  him,  Father, 
I  have  sinned  against  heaven,  and  in 
thy  sight,  and  am  no  more  worthy  to 
be  called  thy  son. 

"But  the  father  said  to  his  servants, 
Bring  forth  the  best  robe,  and  put  it 
on  him;  and  put  a  ring  on  his  hand, 
and  shoes  on  his  feet: 

"For  this  my  son  was  dead,  and  is 
alive  again;  he  was  lost,  and  is 
found "  (Luke  15:20-22,  24.) 

In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  My  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends: 
The  scriptures  teach  us  that  our  God  is 
a  God  of  love.  It  is  the  greatest 
thing  God  can  give  us  and  the  great- 
est thing  we  can  give  him.  The  true 
measure  of  loving  God  is  to  love  him 
without  measure.  His  love  toward  us 
was  manifested  when  he  sent  his  Only 
Begotten  Son  into  the  world  that  we 
might  live  through  him.  (See  1  John 
4:9.) 

A  degree  of  the  love  between  the 
Eternal  Father  and  his  Only  Begotten 
Son  has  existed  between  other  fathers 
and  sons.  We  should  not  feel  that  such 
love  is  beyond  our  ability  to  receive 
and  to  give.  We  may  not  be  able  to 
match  the  perfect  love  shown  to  us  by 
the  Savior,  because  Christ  is  the  epi- 
tome of  this  God-given  quality,  but  it 
is  a  goal  toward  which  all  of  us  should 
strive. 

The  most  important  need  of  the 
world  today  to  remedy  its  follies  and 
problems  is  for  man  to  return  to  God 
in    love    and    obedience    to    his    will. 


Without  love,  the  world  will  continue 
in  turmoil  with  worsening  conditions 
until  it  is  steeped  in  wickedness  and 
sin,  at  which  time  the  judgments  of 
God  will  fall  upon  the  unrighteous  of 
the  earth.  The  cures  for  all  the  ills 
and  wrongs,  the  cares,  the  sorrows,  and 
the  crimes  of  humanity  lie  in  one 
word — love. 

Love,  if  used  in  its  proper  context, 
will  hold  the  peoples  of  the  world  to- 
gether in  understanding  and  peace. 
Today  the  most  trampled-upon  ingredi- 
ent for  a  happy  and  joyous  life  is  the 
word  love. 

'If  the  tender,  profound,  and  sympa- 
thizing love  practiced  and  recom- 
mended by  Jesus  were  paramount  in 
every  heart,  the  loftiest  and  most  glori- 
ous ideals  of  human  society  would  be 
realized  and  little  would  be  wanting 
to  make  this  world  a  kingdom  of 
heaven.  Love  is  indeed  heaven  upon 
the  earth,  since  heaven  above  would 
not  be  heaven  without  it. 

The  apostle  Paul  calls  love  the  bond 


of  perfection  and  peace.  It  is  the  old, 
the  new,  and  the  great  commandment, 
for  love  is  the  fulfilling  of  the  law. 

Love  is  manifest  in  charity  of  the 
soul.  It  is  made  up  of  many  things, 
all  of  which  lead  to  a  high  idealism  in 
standards  of  living,  personal  behavior, 
and  purpose.  It  is  expressed  in  Christ- 
like  example,  in  words,  in  actions,  in 
thoughtful  attentions  and  kindly  deeds. 

Love  is  not  real  when  one  demands 
attentions  and  fancied  needs,  then  is 
not  appreciative  of  them  and  gives 
nothing  in  return  for  the  favors  re- 
ceived. That  attitude  is  one  of  pure 
selfishness  and  reflects  a  lack  of  grati- 
tude, decency,  and  respect.  Such  a 
person  is  self-centered  and  cares  not  for 
his  failure  to  acknowledge  courtesy  or 
express  thanks  and  appreciation. 

Love  is  the  purification  of  the  heart. 
It  strengthens  character  and  gives  a 
higher  motive  and  a  positive  aim  to 
every  action  of  life.  The  power  to  love 
truly  and  devotedly  is  the  noblest  gift 
with   which   a   human  being  can  be 


64 


endowed.  True  love  is  eternal  and  infi- 
nite. It  is  equal  and  pure  without 
violent  actions  and  demonstrations, 
which  are  so  much  in  evidence  today. 

Love  begins  in  the  home  by  con- 
genial parents  bestowing  affection  and 
loving  care  upon  their  children.  They 
deal  in  kindness  and  understanding, 
seeking  the  love  and  confidence  of  their 
sons  and  daughters.  They  also  show 
concern  about  the  welfare  and  happi- 
ness of  their  children. 

The  apostle  Paul  gave  this  wise 
counsel:  "But  if  any  provide  not  for 
his  own,  and  specially  for  those  of  his 
own  house,  he  hath  denied  the  faith, 
and  is  worse  than  an  infidel."  (1  Tim. 
5:8.) 

Physical  and  temporal  needs  for 
children  do  not  fulfill  their  most  press- 
ing wants.  Parents'  righteous  teachings 
and  good  example  are  so  important. 
The  family  should  be  unified  by  a 
close-knit  relationship,  doing  things 
together,  loving  each  other,  and  en- 
joying each  other's  companionship. 

The  first  emotion  a  child  learns  and 
needs  is  love.  The  first  emotion  he 
expresses  is  love.  A  child  reacts  to  love 
— or  to  the  lack  of  it.  What  is  sweeter 
than  having  a  child  put  his  arms 
around  your  neck  and  saying,  "I  love 
you."  Love  is  the  real  basis  of  life. 

If  parents  are  immature  and  cannot 
settle  their  differences  without  anger, 
fighting,  and  name-calling,  a  child 
becomes  most  insecure,  and  as  he  grows 
older  he  is  apt  to  take  up  with  the 
wrong  type  of  friends  just  to  get  away 
from  an  unhappy  home  environment. 

Let  us  look  at  some  undesirable 
things  that  can  happen  when  a  grow- 
ing child  feels  unloved  and  neglected 
at  home.  He  is  often  found  with 
questionable  companions — persons  with 
lower  standards  than  his  own — simply 
to  feel  that  he  is  somebody.  Unfor- 
tunately, that  person  rarely  brings 
others  up  to  his  standards  of  living,  but 
usually  lowers  himself  to  the  level  of 
his  so-called  friends. 

Girls  particularly  who  feel  unloved 
are  more  willing  to  give  of  themselves 
to  the  smooth-talking  boy.  They  will 
sacrifice  chastity  just  to  get  love.  Where 
does  the  real  blame  of  this  tragedy  be- 
long— with  the  girl  who  so  desperately 
needs  to  be  loved  or  with  the  parents 
who  failed  in  their  responsibility  to 
make  their  love  known  to  her? 

And  what  about  the  boy?  What 
kind  of  teaching  and  love  has  he  re- 
ceived in  his  home?  How  will  he  treat 
and  protect  the  girls  he  dates,  as  a 
result  of  his  home  life? 

When  children  are  left  to  fend  for 
themselves,  it  often  destroys  the  spiri- 
tual and  orderly  environment  of  the 
home.  If  children  feel  that  their  par- 
ents really  care,  they  will  respond  to 


their  wishes.  When  there  is  mutual 
love  and  respect  in  the  home,  there  is 
a  desire  to  please.  Girls  and  boys  would 
probably  dress  in  a  more  modest  way 
if  they  felt  their  parents  cared  about 
how  they  look. 

Recently  in  Australia  I  noticed  most 
of  the  girls  were  wearing  extremely 
short  miniskirts  that  left  nothing  to 
the  imagination.  The  appearance  was 
most  immodest  and  scandalous,  but  the 
girls  seemed  unashamed,  unembar- 
rassed, and  at  perfect  ease.  Obviously 
these  girls  have  no  one  interested 
enough  to  guide  them  in  their  mode  of 
dress.  Perhaps  it  is  because  their  moth- 
ers also  are  clad  in  miniskirts  and  fail 
to  set  a  personal  example  of.  modesty. 
These  same  conditions  prevail  also  in 
our  own  country. 

Shortly  after  the  miniskirt  came  into 
vogue,  a  woman  dress  designer  was 
asked  in  a  radio  interview  if  the  mini- 
skirt was  contributing  to  the  moral 
delinquency  of  young  girls.  She  an- 
swered with  a  positive  yes.  The  statis- 
tics of  unwed  mothers  has  proved  this 
statement  to  be  true.  Will  mothers  and 
daughters  continue  to  wear  immodest 
clothing,  or  is  it  time  to  get  out  the 
sewing  machine  and  attire  themselves 
in  respectable  standards  of  dress? 

A  family  discussion  of  dress  standards 
in  a  weekly  family  home  evening 
could  change  these  improper  dress 
styles  to  those  of  modesty — and  this 
applies  to  boys  as  well  as  girls.  In  the 
spirit  of  love  and  wise  parental  teach- 
ing, many  of  the  problems  of  today's 
youth  can  be  corrected. 

Former  President  Joseph  F.  Smith 
gave  this  warning:  ".  .  .  parents  in  Zion 
will  be  held  responsible  for  the  acts  of 
their  children,  not  only  until  they  be- 
come eight  years  old,  but,  perhaps, 
throughout  all  the  lives  of  their  chil- 
dren, provided  they  have  neglected  their 
duty  while  they  were  under  their 
guidance.  .  .  ."  (Gospel  Doctrine,  1966, 
p.  286.) 

Often  the  duty  parents  neglect  is 
failure  to  correct  and  discipline  their 
children.  Permissiveness  does  not  show 
love — nor  can  you  buy  a  child's  love. 
You  cannot  ignore  his  misdeeds  and  let 
them  go  unnoticed.  When  a  child 
does  wrong,  he  should  expect  to  be 
punished  accordingly.  However,  this 
should  not  be  done  in  anger.  Often  a 
parent  can  better  communicate  with 
his  child  following  the  punishment.  A 
loving  arm  about  the  child  manifests 
the  love  the  parent  feels,  and  often 
opens  the  door  of  communication  be- 
tween them.  When  children  are  ready 
to  talk,  that  is  the  time  for  parents  to 
listen,  regardless  of  the  hour. 

Solomon  counseled:  "My  son,  despise 
not  the  chastening  of  the  Lord;  neither 
be  weary  of  his  correction: 


"For  whom  the  Lord  loveth  he  cor- 
rected!;  even  as  a  father  the  son  in 
whom  he  delighteth."  (Prov.  3:11-12.) 

When  parents  think  only  of  their 
own  pleasures  and  friends,  where  does 
this  leave  the  child?  When  they  en- 
deavor to  keep  their  "social  standing," 
the  child  is  left  alone  while  parents 
participate  in  other  activities  away  from 
home.  They  give  the  child  full  use  of 
the  home  with  all  kinds  of  refresh- 
ments arid  feel  that  if  the  child  has 
some  of  his  friends  in,  it  can  compen- 
sate for  their  not  being  with  him. 

Then  what  happens?  Children  are 
alone  for  an  evening — often  until  the 
wee  hours  of  the  morning.  What  do 
they  do  when  they  get  bored?  The 
answer  may  shock  and  upset  many 
neglectful  parents. 

Our  beloved  late  President  David 
O.  McKay  has  said:  "Another  element 
which  makes  for  a  happy  home  life  is 
mutual  service,  each  member  of  the 
home  working  for  the  other.  .  .  ." 
(Treasures  of  Life  [Deseret  Book  Co., 
1965],  p.  330.)  That  home  is  most 
beautiful  in  which  you  find  each  per- 
son striving  to  serve  the  other.  A  child 
has  the  right  to  feel  that  in  his  home 
he  has  a  place  of  refuge,  a  place 
of  protection  from  the  dangers  and 
evils  of  the  out,side  world.  Family 
unity  and  integrity  are  necessary  to  sup- 
ply this  need.  He  needs  parents  who 
are  happy  in  their  adjustment  to  each 
other,  who  are  working  happily  toward 
the  fulfillment  of  an  ideal  of  living, 
who  love  their  children  with  a  sincere 
and  unselfish  love;  in  short,  who  are 
well-balanced  individuals,  gifted  with 
a  certain  amount  of  insight,  who  are 
able  to  provide  the  child  with  a  whole- 
some emotional  background  which  will 
contribute  more  to  his  development 
than  material  advantages. 

One  of  the  soundest  and  safest  bul- 
warks of  society  that  is  being  under- 
mined today  is  the  family.  Modern 
life  is  disintegrating  the  very  founda- 
tion of  the  home.  In  the  well-ordered 
home,  where  confidence  and  love  abide, 
you  will  find  life  at  its  best.  There  is 
no  real  home  without  love.  Homes 
are  made  permanent  through  love. 

"Love,  it  has  been  said,  flows  down- 
ward. The  love  of  parents  for  their 
children  has  always  been  far  more 
powerful  than  that  of  children  for  their 
parents;  and  who  among  the  sons  of 
men  ever  loved  God  with  a  thousandth 
part  of  the  love  which  God  has  mani- 
fested to  us?"  (Hare.) 

Parents  and  youth  are  forgetting 
what  pure  love  really  means.  The 
meaning  has  not  changed;  but,  like 
so  many  other  virtues  accepted  as  es- 
sential to  proper  standards  of  behavior, 
it  is  being  chipped  away  until  the  real 
meaning  is  so  adulterated  that  hate  is 


Era,  December  1970    65 


becoming  more  and  more  a  substitute. 

How  can  a  man  or  woman  say  they 
love  each  other  and  become  sexually 
involved  with  someone  else?  How  is  it 
that  by  our  actions  we  hurt  those  whom 
we  should  love  the  most? 

What  about  parents  who  break  up 
their  homes?  Who  suffers  most,  the 
parents  or  the  children?  The  selfish- 
ness of  some  people  is  appalling.  The 
breaking  of  marriage  vows  and  cove- 
nants does  not  seem  to  be  significant 
or  meaningful. 

It  is  most  important  that  parents 
remain  together  and  hold  their  family 
in  an  ideal  relationship.  Parents,  do 
not  fail  to  hold  the  weekly  family 
home  evening.  It  will  draw  your  chil- 
dren closer  to  you  and  you  to  them. 
Pray  with  your  family.  Establish  the 
traditions  of  righteousness  in  your 
home.  Develop  love,  companionship, 
and  unity.  Watch  trends — are  they  up 
or  down?  Remember,  where  family 
ends,  delinquency  begins. 

How  blessed  is  the  family  where 
love  abides.  How  blessed  are  the  chil- 
dren whose  fondest  memories  are  those 
of  a  happy  childhood  and  youth. 
Parents,  take  time  to  give  your  children 
these  happy  years  and  happy  memories. 
The  world  is  moving  fast.    The  pres- 


sure upon  one's  time  is  consuming. 
Many  fathers  neglect  families.  Working 
mothers  with  children  at  home  do  like- 
wise. Find  the  time  to  do  things  to- 
gether as  a  family. 

I  wish  to  share  with  you,  in  part,  a 
testimony  of  Sister  Davidina  Bailey,  a 
devoted  mother,  looking  into  the  future 
for  the  care,  welfare,  direction,  and 
happiness  of  her  children.  This  was 
written  16  years  before  her  death  this 
past  July.  It  is  a  most  beautiful  tribute 
from  a  mother  who  truly  loved  her 
children. 

"I  have  lain  awake  tonight  and  can- 
not sleep,  which  is  unusual  for  me  as  I 
am  a  good  sleeper.  I  wish  to  leave  this 
message  to  you,  my  children.  ...  If 
you  love  me  .  .  .  keep  the  command- 
ments of  God,  for  my  sake,  if  not  for 
your  own,  as  I  would  want  you  to  be 
with  me  unto  whatsoever  glory  your 
father  and  I  attain  to. 

"I  charge  you  ...  do  not  stray  from 
this  gospel  if  I  am  not  here  to  look  after 
you  in  this  life.  Do  not  be  jealous  of 
one  another,  as  I  have  loved  you  all 
the  same.  I  have  tried  to  be  fair  to 
all  of  you.  .  .  .  Do  not  reprove  each 
other.  ...  Do  not  look  for  worldly 
pleasures.  Be  alert  to  the  powers  of 
Satan  and  his  angels,  for  his  power  is 


mighty  and  not  to  be  forgotten. 

"Always  remember,  I  love  you  all. 
You  are  the  spirit  children  of  God. 
Your  father  and  I  have  been  entrusted 
in  this  mortal  life  to  be  your  parents, 
so  live  that  we  can  once  again  be.  a 
family  throughout  the  eternities." 

May  God  grant  us  parents  the  love, 
wisdom,  and  good  judgment  to  plan 
effectively  for  the  care,  welfare,  and 
happiness  of  our  children.  May  we 
help  them  to  live  righteously,  to  love 
truth,  and  to  do  good. 

May  God  bless  youth  to  follow  the 
wise  teachings  of  loving  and  exemplary 
parents  and  all  live  together  in  under- 
standing, harmony,  and  peace. 

I  humbly  pray,  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  that  we  shall  teach  the  gospel, 
its  principles,  its  standards,  its  ideals 
to  our  children,  and  set  the  kind  of 
example  that  we  can  say  to  them, 
"Come,  follow  me  and  do  the  things 
you  have  seen  me  do." 

I  love  the  Church.  I  know  it  is  true. 
I  know  the  gospel  is  the  plan  of  life 
the  Lord  has  given  to  guide  and  direct 
us  as  we  meet  all  the  conditions  present 
in  the  world  today.  May  he  keep  us 
firm  and  steadfast  and  true  in  the 
path  of  righteousness,  I  humbly  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.    O 


Saturday  morning  session,  October  3,  1970 


"BearYe  One  Another's  Burdens' 


Elder  Marion  D.  Hanks 

Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


•  There  was  a  tear  at  our  house  this 
morning  when  the  incident  President 
Lee  referred  to  was  discussed  [the 
crash  in  Colorado  of  a  plane  carrying 
University  of  Wichita  football  players 
to  Logan,  Utah,  for  a  game  at  Utah 
State  University],  and  also  as  we  read 
in  another  less  prominent  place  in  the 
paper  of  the  loss  of  a  comparable  num- 
ber of  lives  in  a  crash  overseas  among 
service  people.  We  join  in  compassion. 
This  is  an  emphasis  again  on  the 
ephemeral  nature  of  mortal  life  and 
the  importance  of  enduring  principles. 


Thank  God  for  that  straightforward 
address  by  President  Tanner. 

Three  recent  experiences  form  the 
core  of  my  message  this  morning.  I 
would  like  to  relate  them  briefly. 

In  the  northwestern  area  of  the 
United  States  an  alert  young  adult, 
who  is  actively  involved  in  his  own 
church,  attended  an  open  house  at  a 
new  Mormon .  Church  structure  with 
a  friend.  He  was  respectfully  respon- 
sive as  he  viewed  the  lovely  chapel 
where  our  people  worship  and  then 
became   increasingly  interested  as  he 


was  conducted  through  the  rest  of  the 
building.  He  saw  the  cultural  hall 
where  drama  and  music  and  recrea- 
tional dancing  and  sports  activities  are 
enjoyed;  he  saw  the  Scout  room  and 
the  Junior  Sunday  School  room,  the 
classrooms  where  we  learn  and  teach. 
He  was  shown  photographs  of  mis- 
sionaries at  their  work  across  the  world, 
of  a  baptism,  of  a  family  home  evening 
where  parents  and  children  were  pic- 
tured in  counsel,  at  prayer,  and  at 
play.  He  listened  to  the  principles  of 
temple    marriage,    this    uniting    of    a 


66 


couple  and  a  family  for  time  and  eter- 
nity. He  heard  about  the  priesthood 
and  its  importance  as  a  man  presides 
in  love  as  the  head  of  his  home,  and 
teaches  and  blesses  his  family. 

Finally,  he  stopped  at  the  lovely  Re- 
lief Society  room,  where  he  heard  the 
story  of  the  honored  role  of  women  in 
their  homes  and  in  the  Church  and 
where  he  heard  one  of  the  ladies  who 
was  explaining  the  program  that  eve- 
ning refer  to  another  as  "sister."  He 
inquired  about  this  and  was  told  that 
in  the  Church  a  woman  is  often  called 
"sister"  as  a  man  is  called  "brother." 

The  visitor  shook  his  head  in  won- 
derment and  said,  "Every  woman  a 
sister,  every  man  a  priest,  and  every 
home  a  parish  in  itself." 

Last  week  a  wonderful  young  lady 
just  beginning  her  university  training 
talked  with  me  about  her  experience 
as  a  youth  representative  on  govern- 
mental agencies  studying  problems  of 
young  people  who  have  been  involved 
with  drugs.  Earnestly  and  often  tear- 
fully she  related  the  feelings  she  had 
had  as  she  learned  about  the  breadth 
of  this  problem  in  various  cities  across 
America,  and  as  she  had  discussed  it 
not  only  in  the  council  room  with  ex- 
perts from  various  disciplines,  but  on 
the  streets,  in  the  communes,  in  cus- 
todial and  treatment  centers,  and  in 
many  personal  conversations  with  dis- 
affected young  people.  She  repeated 
some  of  what  she  had  heard  from  these 
alienated  and  confused  and  fearful 
youngsters,  of  heartbreaking  scenes  and 
troubles. 

"And  what  about  you,"  I  asked  her. 
"What  has  this  done  to  you?  What 
did  you  have  to  say  to  them?" 

Through  the  tears  and  the  sweet 
compassion  and  concern  came  answers 
I  can  only  abstract  this  morning:  "I've 
never  been  so  grateful,"  she  said.  "I 
found  myself  talking  about  the  things 
I've  been  learning  all  my  life — the  im- 
portance of  faith  in  God,  of  genuine 
concern  for  others,  of  commitment 
to  Christ;  the  need  for  goals,  for 
work,  for  prayer;  the  significance  of 
a  self-image  based  on  self-discipline, 
responsible  relationships,  worthwhile 
accomplishments,  rather  than  on  the 
temporary,  the  trivial,  the  tainted." 

Many  of  them,  she  said,  were  critical 
of  their  parents  and  the  older  genera- 
tion, and  "I  found  myself  wondering 
what  their  descendants  would  have  to 
thank  some  of  them  for." 

The  third  incident  involved  two 
young  men,  one  a  young  American 
born  in  Mexico  who  had  started  ninth 
grade  at  the  age  of  19,  while  still  a 
migrant  farm  worker,  the  other  a  part- 
Indian,  born  in  a  small  village  near  the 
reservation  where  many  of  his  relatives 
lived.  Both  of  them  were  handsome, 
articulate,   exuding  strength  and  sin- 


cerity and  a  sense  of  urgency.  Each  is 
pursuing  advanced  university  training; 
each  is  working  to  serve  the  special 
needs  of  those  with  whom  he  shares 
proud  heritage. 

The  two  were  interviewed  separately 
by  a  civic  comittee  seeking  help  from 
them  in  understanding  the  problems 
of  their  people  and  offering  possible 
solutions.  Each  answered  searching 
questions  knowledgeably,  effectively, 
earnestly.  When  asked  what  could  be 
done  to  help,  each  responded  repeat- 
edly and  firmly  that  what  his  people 
need  is  not  handouts  but  opportunities, 
equal  opportunities  in  order  that 
through  their  own  efforts  they  can 
reach  the  goal.  They  will  do  the  rest 
themselves.  Both  pointed  to  faith  in 
God  and  a  religious  commitment  as 
basic  needs  of  their  people,  and  each 
explained  that  active  involvement  in 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints  is  the  key  to  his  own  growth 
and  development.  How  had  this  bless- 
ing come  about? 

To  the  young  Mexican-American, 
it  was  through  a  school  administrator 
in  a  small  LDS  community  in  Nevada 
where  the  verbal  answers  concerning 
salvation  and  redemption  through 
Christ  had  been  personalized  in  the 
experience  of  kindness  and  concern  and 
contagious  love.  There  the  young  man 
had  found  not  only  the  answers  which 
gave  meaning  to  life,  but  direction  and 
inspiration  and  purpose  in  living  it. 
The  love  he  found  came  not  chiefly 
from  books  or  sermons  or  lessons,  but 
from  persons  in  a  community  of  saints 
who  were  able  and  willing  to  give  it. 

For  the  part-Indian  it  had  been  a 
man  living  next  door,  a  Mormon  bish- 
op whose  interest  and  kindness  had 
operied  his  heart  and  his  home  to  this 
youngster.  There  he  found  acceptance 
and  affection  and  unconditional  love. 
Theological  answers  the  little  boy  was 
not  prepared  to  understand;  loving 
concern  he  could  readily  comprehend. 
Through  the  life  of  a  good  man  he 
learned  to  care  about  and  to  know 
Christ. 

To  summarize  these  three  incidents, 
then,  the  man  who  visited  the  church 
building  in  the  Northwest  only  dimly 
understood  on  first  contact  much  of 
what  he  saw,  but  he  had  caught  a 
glimpse  of  what  can  be. 

The  lovely  girl  to  whom  I  listened 
had  found  many  who  had  no  con- 
sciousness at  all  of  being  children  of 
God,  who  were  frantically  trying  to  ar- 
range, in  the  words  of  a  wise  observer, 
"some  acceptable  horizontal  relation- 
ship with  their  social  environment," 
instead  of  seeking  to  establish  a  "su- 
premely important  vertical  relationship 
with  God."  She  learned  again  the  im- 
portance of  the  principles  of  Christ. 

The  two  young  men  had  seen  those 


principles  applied  and  had  accepted 
them. 

There  are  many  strong  efforts  in  the 
Church  to  bring  the  principles  of  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  and  the  full  im- 
pact of  his  church  into  the  lives  of  its 
members  and  all  who  will  participate. 
A  number  of  these  have  gained  wide 
attention  and  respect:  the  youth  and 
welfare  programs,  the  family  home 
evening,  military  relations  activities, 
Indian  placement.  In  educational  ef- 
fort, missionary  work,  genealogical 
undertakings,  home  teaching,  student 
wards  and  stakes,  and  other  correlated 
efforts,  the  Church  is  effectively  serv- 
ing the  Lord's  children. 

All  of  these  are  praiseworthy  en- 
deavors, but  we  are  clearly  aware  that 
it  is  not  the  programs  of  the  Church 
themselves  that  save;  yet  it  is  often 
through  the  programs  that  the  love 
and  graciousness  of  God  are  expressed 
and  communicated. 

As  I  think  of  the  wide  efforts  of  our 
people  in  these  various  ways,  three 
other  related  words  come  to  mind  of 
which,  with  their  meanings,  we  must 
continually  remind  ourselves.  If  we 
had  a  giant  chalkboard  upon  which  I 
could  write,  I  would  like  to  print  in 
large  letters  three  words:  OBJEC- 
TIVES, PRINCIPLES,  SPIRIT.  May 
I  comment  briefly  about  them? 

OBJECTIVES 

Recently  we  have  been  discussing 
throughout  the  stakes  of  the  Church 
the  great  effort  currently  being  made 
to  keep  closely  in  touch  with  our  young 
men  in  the  military  forces,  to  prepare 
them  for  the  experiences  they  face  in 
military  service  away  from  home.  Al- 
ways as  we  discuss  the  operation  and 
mechanics  of  this  important  activity 
we  are  asking  ourselves  the  meaning 
of  it,  the  purpose  and  goal  for  which 
it  has  been  established. 

The  answer  is  in  the  boy  sitting 
against  the  bulkhead  of  the  Navy  ship 
reading  a  letter  from  his  bishop  or 
from  his  quorum  at  home.  It  is  in  the 
young  man  wading  through  the  refl 
dust  of  Takhli  or  Nakhon  Phanom  or 
the  heat  or  rain  of  the  Delta  to  get 
to  his  group  meeting  with  three  or 
four  or  a  dozen  other  members  of  the 
Church  to  partake  of  the  sacrament 
of  the  Lord's  Supper  and  to  participate 
in  the  worship  service  that  will 
strengthen  him  against  envelopment 
by  the  hollow  world  around  him. 

In  the  Church's  educational  effort 
the  objective  is  the  young  man  or 
woman  surrounded  by  issues  and  pres- 
sures and  voices  of  unwisdom,  needing 
the  stabilizing  strength  of  the  Lord 
and  the  companionship  of  others  who 
know  the  way. 

In  the  priesthood  quorums  the  ob- 


Era,  December  1970    67 


jective  is  those  who  are  accounted  for, 
and  the  prodigal;  in  the  auxiliaries, 
every  available  individual.  What  was 
quoted  this  morning?  The  work  and 
the  glory  of  God  is  to  bring  to  pass 
the  immortality  and  eternal  life  of 
man. 

In  every  effort  of  the  Church  the 
purpose  is  to  tie  in  God's  children  to 
his  community  and  kingdom,  to  bless 
the  individual  with  a  knowledge  of  his 
origins  and  heritage,  a  sense  of  his 
purpose  and  a  plan  to  fulfill  it,  and  a 
vision  of  his  eternal  potential.  It  is  to 
strengthen  and  qualify  God's  children 
in  the  application  of  the  eternal  prin- 
ciples we  have  been  discussing  here; 
to  learn  and  to  serve,  to  grow  and  to 
give.  It  is  to  help  him  face  the  burn- 
ing, urgent  problems  of  the  moment, 
grateful  for  his  relationship  with  God 
and  for  the  great  marvel  of  being 
alive  to  the  richness  of  life;  to  revere 
God,  who  demands  and  expects  some- 
thing important  of  him. 

The  objective  of  it  all,  then,  is  not 
counting  the  sheep  but  feeding  them, 
not  the  proliferation  of  buildings  or 
units  or  organizations  or  statistics,  but 
the  blessing  of  the  individual  child 
of  God. 

Christ,  we  know,  had  a  great  inter- 
est in  human  beings  of  every  descrip- 
tion, and  great  love  for  them.  He 
companied  with  little  children,  sought 
out  the  sinner;  he  summoned  men  to 
follow  him  from  the  fishing  boat  and 
the  counting  table.  So  conscious  was 
he  of  individuals  that  in  the  midst  of 
the  multitude  he  felt  the  woman's 
touch  of  his  robe.  He  memorialized  in 
a  magnificent  parable  the  selfless  con- 
sideration of  a  despised  Samaritan  to- 
ward another  human  being  in  need. 
He  enfolded  the  ninety  and  nine  and 
went  seeking  the  lost  one.  Our  pur- 
pose is  to  follow  him. 

PRINCIPLES 

And  what  of  principles? 

What  are  the  principles  through 
which  we  can  help  God's  children  to 
realize  his  purpose  for  them?  We  can 
start — and  almost  end — with  love.  God 
so  loved  the  world  that  he  gave  his 
Only  Begotten  Son  that  whosoever  be- 
lieveth  in  him  should  not  perish  but 
have  everlasting  life.  Christ  so  loved 
God  and  God's  other  children  that  he 
willingly  undertook  his  pivotal  part  in 
the  great  plan  of  salvation,  knowing 
what  it  meant,  what  it  was  going  to 
cost. 

Another  special  son,  brilliant — the 
scriptures  call  him  "an  authority  in 
the  presence  of  God" — but  lacking  love 
except  for  self,  disdained  the  Father's 
plan  and  rebelled  against  it.  He  had 
strong  opinions  of  his  own;  he  con- 
trived some  rules  of  his  own,  seemed  to 


feel  his  Father's  way  inefficient  and 
imperfect.  He  rebelled,  and  misled  and 
led  away  a  multitude  of  his  Father's 
children. 

Christ  loved  his  Father  and  desired 
to  do  his  will.  He  used  his  agency  to 
willingly  accept  the  responsibility  to 
open  the  door  to  salvation  and  to 
eternal  life  to  every  individual  child  of 
God  who  would  manifest  his  accep- 
tance of  the  gift  and  his  love  of  the 
giver  by  obeying  his  commandments. 

Tillich  has  spoken  of  God's  love  as 
"ultimate  concern" — that  is,  that  God 
cares  about  us  as  much  as  can  be.  We 
are  here  to  learn  to  care  that  much 
about  each  other. 

I  often  think  of  the  young  bishop 
who,  against  pressures  and  problems 
and  at  considerable  inconvenience, 
traveled  to  another  city  to  visit  a  be- 
reaved widow  on  the  eve  of  her  hus- 
band's funeral.  The  couple  had  long 
since  moved  from  the  bishop's  area, 
but  he  had  made  the  effort  to  be  with 
his  good,  wonderful  old  friends  at  this 
tender  time.  He  found  the  elderly 
lady  standing  alone  beside  the  body  of 
her  beloved  of  more  than  half  a  cen- 
tury. As  he  comforted  her  she  said 
through  her  tears,  "Oh  bishop,  I  knew 
you  would  come." 

I  think,  too,  of  an  admired  friend 
who  has  written  of  the  night  he  took 
his  little  boys  to  an  outing.  They  had 
the  whole  package  of  games  and  good- 
ies. On  the  way  home  one  little  boy 
went  to  sleep  on  the  back  seat  of  the 
automobile,  and  his  daddy  took  off  his 
coat  and  covered  the  lad.  The  other 
youngster  cuddled  up  by  dad  as  they 
drove  home,  discussing  the  exciting 
events  of  the  evening.  The  little  boy 
dutifully  answered  his  father's  ques- 
tions about  the  things  he'd  enjoyed 
most,  and  then,  in  a  moment  of  pause, 
asked  the  thing  that  was  really  on  his 
mind.  "Daddy,"  he  said,  "if  I  got  cold 
would  you  cover  me  with  your  coat?" 

Every  child  of  God  needs  and  wants 
love. 

The  principle  of  agency  must  be 
mentioned  too,  of  course,  for  not  even 
through  love  can  one  against  his  will 
be  conveyed  to  useful,  constructive 
living  or  to  eternal,  creative  life.  Each 
must  individually  choose  that  destina- 
tion and  qualify  for  it. 

SPIRIT 

The  third  word  is  spirit.  In  what 
spirit  must  we  act  to  help  our  brother 
achieve  God's  purposes  for  him?  Paul, 
who  knew  remorse  as  perhaps  few  men 
have,  said  to  the  Galatians:  "Brethren, 
if  a  man  be  overtaken  in  a  fault,  ye 
which  are  spiritual,  restore  such  an 
one  in  the  spirit  of  meekness;  con- 
sidering thyself,  lest  thou  also  be 
tempted. 


"Bear  ye  one  another's  burdens,  and 
so  fulfil  the  law  of  Christ. 

"For  if  a  man  think  himself  to  be 
something,  when  he  is  nothing,  he  de- 
ceived himself."  (Gal.  6:1-3.) 

Alma,  who  also  knew  error  and  re- 
morse, prayed  for  the  apostate  Zoram- 
ites:  "Behold,  O  Lord,  their  souls  are 
precious,  and  many  of  them  are  our 
brethren;  therefore,  give  unto  us,  O 
Lord,  power  and  wisdom  that  we  may 
bring  these,  our  brethren,  again  unto 
thee."   (Al.  31:35.) 

The  programs  of  the  Church  are  im- 
portant, but  they  are  not  ends  in  them- 
selves. They  permit  organized  efforts 
to  be  made  to  reach  and  bless  the 
individual.  They  are  designed  to  help 
God's  children  to  achieve  the  purposes 
of  the  Lord  for  them,  to  operate  in  the 
principle  of  real  love,  to  be  imple- 
mented in  the  spirit  of  compassion  and 
contrition.  They  are  to  help  us  bear 
one  another's  burdens  and  thus  ful- 
fill the  law  of  Christ. 

The  basic  problem  of  our  time  is 
loneliness — the  insecurity  and  anxiety 
that  come  with  separation  from  God, 
and  from  one's  fellowmen,  and  from  a 
sense  of  alienation  from  self  that  is 
almost  always  present.  The  source  of 
reconciliation  and  wholeness  is  Jesus 
Christ. 

The  function  of  the  true  Church  of 
Christ  is  to  provide  for  the  individual 
that  concerned,  loving,  accepting,  for- 
giving community,  animated  by  the 
spirit  of  Christ,  in  which  the  individual 
can  find  a  place,  establish  true  friend- 
ships, and  gain  confidence  in  God's 
presence. 

Through  it  every  woman  will  have 
opportunity  ultimately  to  become  what 
the  most  fortunate  of  women  are 
blessed  to  be  in  this  world — the  heart 
of  a  loving  home.  Every  man  may  be 
a  true  priest  of  God  in  his  own  home. 
And  every  home  may  be  a  true  sanc- 
tuary where  the  love  of  God  may  dwell 
and  where  the  spirit  of  God  is. 

It  is  important  to  learn  to  apply  the 
programs  of  the  Church — they  are 
great  and  wonderful  and  inspired  and 
effective — but  the  only  way  this  can 
truly  be  achieved  is  with  a  constant 
understanding  of  the  objectives  for 
which  a  program  exists,  of  the  prin- 
ciples that  apply,  and  of  the  spirit 
that  must  be  present  in  those  who  are 
called  to  serve  and  lead. 

In  our  Father's  house  are  many  man- 
sions, and  a  place  for  each  of  his  chil- 
dren who  will  qualify.  Our  assignment 
is  to  accept  God's  gift  and  know  that 
we  are  accepted,  and  to  seek  to  share 
the  warmth  of  his  love  and  the  power 
of  his  example  with  all  who  will  heed 
his  call. 

So  bless  us,  O  God,  to  understand 
and  to  do,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen.  Q 


68 


•  Brothers  and  sisters,  it  is  wonderful 
to  be  gathered  here  with  you  again  in 
one  of  these  great  conferences  of  our 
church.  Led  by  the  Tabernacle  Choir, 
we  have  just  sung  a  song  that  finds  an 
echo  in  my  heart:  "God  moves  in  a 
mysterious  way  his  wonders  to  per- 
form." 

Having  done  as  much  missionary 
work  as  I  have,  I  have  always  con- 
sidered the  great  wonders  the  Lord  has 
done  in  our  day  in  connection  with 
the  restoration  of  his  gospel  to  the 
earth  in  this  dispensation.  This  is  a 
day  of  wonders,  a  day  when  so  many 
things  are  happening  in  the  world.  If 
I  were  to  ask  what  you  consider  the 
most  wonderful  thing  that  has  hap- 
pened in  this  world  in  the  last  150 
years,  I  imagine  that  most  people  would 
say  the  landing  of  the  astronauts  on 
the  moon.  That  truly  was  a  miracle, 
and  how  it  happened  only  those  who 
worked  it  out  can  tell  you. 

Then  I  think  of  how  we  were  able 
to  sit  in  our  homes  and  watch  on  tele- 
vision as  those  men  got  down  from 
the  capsule  to  walk  on  that  land  with- 
out the  power  of  gravity  to  pull  them 
back.  Then  I  think  of  what  has  been 
the  result.  (Now  I  am  admitting  to 
you  that  I  don't  know  enough  about 
science  to  know  how  much  good  that 
great  achievement  will  be  to  me  or  my 
family.) 

Then  I  think  of  another  event  that 
transpired  within  the  last  150  years 
that  from  my  way  of  appraisal  far  ex- 
ceeds that  in  its  majesty  and  magni- 
tude and  in  its  good  for  humanity,  and 
for  me  and  my  family  and  for  all  other 
people  in  this  world  who  really  love 
the  Lord  and  want  to  serve  him.  That 
was  when  the  boy  Joseph  Smith  went 
out  in  the  woods  to  pray,  having  read 
the  words  of  the  apostle  James:  "If  any 
of  you  lack  wisdom,  let  him  ask  of  God, 
that  giveth  to  all  men  liberally,  and 
upbraideth  not;  and  it  shall  be  given 
him."  (Jas.  1:5.)  Then  he  went  out 
into  the  woods  to  pray,  believing  in 
that  promise,  and  a  pillar  of  light 
descended  from  heaven,  as  it  did   to 


Saul  of  Tarsus  on  the  way  to  Damas- 
cus, and  in  the  midst  of  that  pillar  of 
light  were  God  the  Father  and  his  Son 
Jesus  Christ. 

When  that  boy  asked  which  of  all 
the  churches  he  should  join,  the 
Father,  pointing  to  the  Son,  said:  "This 
is  My  Beloved  Son,  Hear  Him!"  (See 
Joseph  Smith  2:17.)  The  answer  came 
that  he  was  to  join  none  of  them,  for 
they  all  taught  for  doctrines  the  pre- 
cepts of  men,  and  then  he  was  told 
of  the  work  that  was  about  to  come 
forth. 

If  that  story  is  true,  and  I  know  that 
it  is,  is  there  anything  like  it  in  all 
this  world?  For  when  the  heavens 
opened,  heavenly  messengers  appeared, 
the  Father  and  the  Son  who  created 
this  earth;  we  are  told  in  the  holy 
scriptures  that  God  created  the  earth 
by  the  power  of  his  Only  Begotten, 
and  could  anything  that  has  happened 
in  this  world  in  the  last  150  years 
compare  with  the  visit  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son  to  this  earth?  We  bear 
solemn  testimony,  all  of  us  gathered 
here  in  this  conference  this  day,  and 
millions  throughout  the  earth  who 
have  put  this  message  to  the  test,  that 
this  is  the  truth.  As  Jesus  said  to 
Nicodemus:  "We  speak  that  we  do 
know,  and  testify  that  we  have  seen; 
and  ye  receive  not  our  witness."  (John 
3:11.)  And  so  we  are  testifying  to  all 
the  world  that  this  glorious  event 
transpired. 

After  Jesus  had  spent  some  forty  days 
with  his  disciples  and  ascended  to 
heaven  in  the  presence  of  500  of  the 
brethren,  as  they  stood  gazing  into 
heaven,  two  men  in  white  apparel 
stood  by  their  side  and  said:  "Ye  men 
of  Galilee,  why  stand  ye  gazing  up 
into  heaven?  this  same  Jesus,  which  is 
taken  up  from  you  into  heaven,  shall 
so  come  in  like  manner  as  ye  have  seen 
him  go  into  heaven."  (Acts  1:11.)  Why 
then  should  it  be  so  difficult  to  believe 
that  he  would  appear  when  two  angels 
stood  there  to  say  that  he  would  come 
again?  And  we  are  looking  forward  to 
his  coming.    When  I  think  of  all  of 


the  things  the  prophets  have  foretold 
that  should  precede  his  second  com- 
ing, then  I  say  truly  that  God  moves 
in  a  mysterious  way,  his  wonders  to 
perform. 

I  like  the  statement  in  the  third 
chapter  of  Malachi,  where  the  Lord, 
speaking  through  the  prophet  Malachi, 
said:  "Behold,  I  will  send  my  messen- 
ger, and  he  shall  prepare  the  way  be- 
fore me:  and  the  Lord,  whom  ye  seek, 
shall  suddenly  come  to  his  temple.  .  .  . 

"But  who  may  abide  the  day  of  his 
coming?  ...  for  he  is  like  a  refiner's 
fire,  and  like  fuller's  soap."  (Malachi 
3:1-2.) 

Now  that  obviously  had  no  refer- 
ence to  his  first  coming,  because  he 
didn't  come  suddenly  to  his  temple. 
All  men  were  able  to  abide  the  day  of 
his  coming.  He  did  not  come  cleans- 
ing and  purifying  as  refiner's  fire  and 
fuller's  soap,  but  we  are  told  that  when 
he  shall  come  in  the  latter  days  the 
wicked  shall  cry  out  to  the  rocks,  "Fall 
on  us,  and  hide  us  from  the  face  of 
him  that  sitteth  on  the  throne,  and 
from  the  wrath  of  the  Lamb."  (Rev/ 
6:16.)  And  so  when  God  sends  a 
messenger  to  prepare  the  way  before 
him,  that  messenger  could  be  none 
other  than  a  prophet. 

You  remember  what  Jesus  said  of 
John  the  Baptist,  who  was  sent  to 
prepare  the  way  for  his  coming  in  the 
meridian  of  time.  He  said  that  there 
was  no  greater  prophet  in  Israel  than 
John  the  Baptist.  And  so  we  bear 
solemn  testimony  to  the  world  that 
this  prophet  whom  God  raised  up  in 
this  dispensation  was  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith.  He  was  the  messenger 
that  was  sent  to  prepare  the  way  for 
these  wonderful  things  that  the  Lord 
promised  to  send  to  this  world  to  pre- 
pare the  way  for  the  coming  of  the 
Lord. 

He  was  the  prophet  of  this  dispen- 
sation whom,  according  to  our  scrip- 
tures, the  Lord  had  in  waiting  over 
3,000  years  after  he  declared  his  com- 
ing, waiting  for  his  day  and  time  just 
as   did  the  prophets  of   old,   such  as 


Era,  December  1970    69 


Jeremiah,  when  he  was  called  to  be 
a  prophet.  He  could  not  understand 
this,  and  the  Lord  said,  "Before  I 
formed  thee  in  the  belly  I  knew  thee; 
and  before  thou  earnest  forth  out  of 
the  womb  I  sanctified  thee,  and  I  or- 
dained thee  a  prophet  unto  the  na- 
tions." (Jer.  1:5.)  The  prophet  of  this 
dispensation  was  ordained  to  be  a 
prophet  unto  the  nations  before  he 
ever  came  here,  and  we  have  the  word 
of  the  Lord  that  he  should  be  great  in 
his  eyes.  (See  2  Ne.  3:8.) 

Then  I  think  of  the  statement  of 
Peter  following  the  day  of  Pentecost, 
when  he  talked  to  those  who  put  to 
death  the  Christ,  and  he  told  them  that 
the  heavens  would  receive  the  Christ 
"until  the  times  of  restitution  of  all 
things,  which  God  hath  spoken  by  the 
mouth  of  all  his  holy  prophets  since 
the  world  began."  (Acts  3:21.)  Is  it 
difficult  to  believe  this  prophecy  of 
Peter's  that  there  should  be  a  restitu- 
tion of  all  things  spoken  by  the  mouths 
of  all  the  holy  prophets  since  the 
world  began?  No  other  church  in  this 
world,  as  far  as  I  know,  claims  such  a 
restitution,  and  that  includes  the  visit 
of  many  holy  prophets  of  the  dispen- 
sations past. 

Following  the  coming  of  the  Father 
and  the  Son  to  the  Prophet  Joseph,  a 
few  years  later  Moroni,  a  prophet  who 
had  lived  here  upon  this  earth  in  the 
land  of  America  400  years  after  the 
Christ,  came  back  to  tell  the  prophet 
about  the  former  inhabitants  of  this 
land  and  the  record  that  had  been 
prepared,  which  is  the  Book  of  Mor- 
mon. 

Brother  [Marion  G.]  Romney  gave 
us  an  inspiring  talk  yesterday  about 
the  teachings  of  that  book.  It  was 
preserved  for  the  convincing  of  the 
Jew  and  the  Gentile  that  Jesus  is  the 
Christ,  the  very  eternal  God,  mani- 
festing himself  unto  all  nations.  It 
was  preserved  by  the  hand  of  Almighty 
God;  and  it  was  written  by  the  com- 
mand of  the  Lord  to  Ezekiel  the 
prophet  that  two  records  should  be 
kept,  one  of  Judah  and  his  followers, 
the  House  of  Israel,  and  one  of  Joseph 
and  his  followers.  The  Lord  promised 
he  would  take  the  record  of  Joseph 
that  was  in  the  hands  of  Ephraim  and 
put  it  with  the  record  of  Judah  and 
make  them  one  in  his  hands.  (See 
Ezek.  37:16-17.)  Can't  we  believe 
that  God  would  do  that  which  he  said 
he  would  do?  If  the  Book  of  Mormon 
isn't  that  record,  where  is  it? 

In  order  to  fully  appreciate  what 
that  book  is,  we  need  to  go  back  a 
little  further  to  the  promises  made  to 
the  twelve  sons  of  Jacob,  and  Joseph's 
promise,  if  you  will  read  it,  far  exceeds 
that  of  his  other  brethren.  He  was 
promised   through   Jacob   many   bless- 


ings. "The  blessings  of  thy  father  have 
prevailed  above  the  blessings  of  my 
progenitors  unto  the  utmost  bound 
of  the  everlasting  hills.  .  .  ."  (Gen. 
49:26.) 

In  describing  the  new  land  that 
should  be  given  to  Joseph,  who  would 
be  separated  from  his  brethren,  Moses 
used  the  word  "precious"  five  times  in 
just  four  verses  as  recorded  in  the  Bible 
describing  that  new  land.  (See  Deut. 
33:13-16.)  That  new  land  was  none 
other  than  this  land  of  America.  The 
Lord  had  it  preserved,  waiting  for  the 
day  of  the  restoration  of  the  gospel  in 
this  latter  day. 

What  does  the  world  know  about 
that  record  of  Joseph?  And  why  should 
they  hesitate  to  accept  it?  And  with 
its  acceptance,  even  the  Jewish  people 
have  no  occasion  to  question  who  their 
Messiah  is  because  that  record  so  defi- 
nitely tells  of  the  signs  of  the  birth 
of  the  Savior  of  the  world,  of  his  cruci- 
fixion, and  then  of  his  visit  to  this  land 
of  America  when  he  visited  his  people, 
as  Brother  Romney  told  us  yesterday. 

It  has  been  said  that  if  that  book  had 
been  found  by  a  man  plowing  in  his 
field,  it  would  have  been  considered  the 
greatest  event  of  the  nineteenth  cen- 
tury. We  have  testimonies  from  many 
who  are  not  members  of  the  Church. 
The  book  contains  a  promise  that  if 
we  would  read  it,  the  Lord  would  man- 
ifest the  truth  of  it  unto  us  by  the 
power  of  the  Holy  Ghost.  (See  Moro. 
10:4.) 

Some  years  ago  Brother  Nicholas  G. 
Smith,  speaking  from  this  pulpit,  told 
us  of  an  experience  he  had  while  pre- 
siding over  the  California  Mission.  The 
dean  of  religion  at  the  University  of 
Southern  California  asked  him  for  a 
copy  of  the  Book  of  Mormon,  and 
Brother  Smith  gave  him  one  that  had 
been  marked  by  the  missionaries,  with 
the  important  passages  underlined; 
then  the  dean  invited  Brother  Smith 
and  the  missionaries  to  attend  his  meet- 
ing. He  took  that  Book  of  Mormon  and 
he  would  read  passage  after  passage  to 
his  congregation  and  would  say:  "This 
isn't  a  dead  book,  it's  a  live  book."  He 
said,  "We  have  here  a  volume  of  scrip- 
ture that  has  been  in  our  midst  for  a 
hundred  years,  and  we  haven't  known 
anything  about  it."  And  then  he  would 
say  to  his  congregation:  "Aren't  these 
beautiful  teachings?  Why  can't  we 
fellowship  a  people  who  believe  in  such 
beautiful  things  as  I  have  been  read- 
ing to  you  here  today?"  Well,  that  is 
just  another  testimony  of  the  divinity 
of  this  work,  but  the  Lord  preserved  it 
to  fulfill  his  promises  to  Joseph  in  this 
land,  choice  above  all  other  lands. 

There  isn't  time  today  to  go  into 
these  other  wonderful  things  that  the 
Lord  has  created  in  a  way  that  is  mys- 


terious to  the  world.  You  just  take 
this  temple  standing  here  on  this 
block.  Isaiah  and  Micah  were  both 
permitted  to  look  down  through  the 
stream  of  time  (3,000  years)  to  the 
latter  days,  and  they  named  the  lat- 
ter days  when  the  mountain  of  the 
Lord's  house  would  be  established  in 
the  top  of  the  mountains  and  all  na- 
tions would  flow  unto  it;  and  they 
would  say,  "Come  ye,  and  let  us  go  up 
to  the  mountain  of  the  Lord,  to  the 
house  of  the  God  of  Jacob;  and  he  will 
teach  us  of  his  ways,  and  we  will  walk 
in  his  paths.  .  .  ."  (See  Isa.  2:2-3.)  As 
far  as  I  know  there  is  no  building  in 
the  history  of  this  world  that  has  gath- 
ered people  from  all  nations  like  this 
temple,  and  many  of  you  who  are  here 
today  are  no  doubt  descendants  of 
some  of  those  who  have  been  gathered 
to  this  land. 

When  I  was  doing  missionary  work 
over  in  Holland,  I  had  a  very  earnest 
investigator,  a  businessman.  He  said, 
"I  will  never  join  your  church."  I  said, 
"Why?"  He  said,  "I  don't  want  to  go 
to  America."  I  said,  "Good  for  you." 
I  then  added,  "You  just  stay  right  here 
and  help  strengthen  these  branches." 
He  had  been  a  member  of  the  Church 
only  a  few  months  when  he  came  rush- 
ing into  my  office  one  day  and  said, 
"Brother  Richards,  I  have  a  chance  to 
sell  my  business."  I  said,  "What  do 
you  want  to  sell  your  business  for?" 
"Oh,  I  want  to  go  to  Zion,"  he  said. 
I  wish  you  could  see  the  accounts  we 
had  on  the  mission  books,  when  I  was 
secretary  of  the  mission,  of  the  good 
Dutch  people  saving  their  nickels  and 
their  dimes  to  come  here  before  we 
had  any  temples  in  Europe. 

I  heard  President  Joseph  F.  Smith 
say  in  Rotterdam  in  1906  that  the  day 
would  come  when  temples  of  the  Lord 
would  dot  that  whole  land  of  Europe, 
and  I  have  lived  long  enough  to  see 
two  of  them  built.  Well,  that  is  just 
another  of  these  wonders  that  are  mys- 
terious to  the  world  that  the  Lord  has 
given  us.  If  we  would  take  time  to 
study  the  prophecies  of  the  gathering, 
we  would  know  that  the  Lord  kept  this 
land  away  from  the  eyes  of  the  world 
to  make  it  the  gathering  place  of  his 
people. 

Brothers  and  sisters,  we  have  so 
much  to  be  grateful  for.  Yesterday 
Brother  Burton  talked  to  us  about  the 
coming  of  Elijah  the  prophet.  Just 
think  of  that  promise  of  Malachi,  that 
before  the  coming  of  the  great  and 
dreadful  day  of  the  Lord,  the  Lord  said 
he  would  send  Elijah  the  prophet, 
"And  he  shall  turn  the  heart  of  the 
fathers  to  the  children,  and  the  heart 
of  the  children  to  their  fathers,  lest  I 
come  and  smite  the  earth  with  a  curse." 
(Mai.    4:5-6.)     How    could    anybody 


70 


believe  the  holy  scriptures  and  not  pray 
for  the  day  to  come  when  Elijah  would 
come?  And  then  we  bear  solemn  wit- 
ness to  the  world  that  lie  has  come. 

I  was  in  Israel  a  year  ago  last  July, 
and  we  went  into  three  of  the  syna- 
gogues on  a  tour,  and  in  one  of  them 
there  was  hanging  on  the  wall  an  arm 
chair.  I  asked  the  rabbi  what  it  was 
there  for.  He  said,  "So  we  could  let  it 
down  for  Elijah  to  sit  in  when  he 
comes."  And  of  course  I  couldn't  tell 
him  that  Elijah  had  already  been, 
and  that  his  coming  has  given  us  this 
assurance  that  has  been  mentioned 
in  this  conference  of  the  eternal  dura- 
tion  of   the   marriage    covenant.    Not 


only  that,  but  God  has  also  pre- 
pared a  thousand  years  under  the 
leadership  of  Jesus  until  every  knee 
shall  ■  bow  and  every  tongue  confess 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ,  which  means 
that  this  message  has  got  to  go  into 
the  eternal  worlds. 

I  bear  you  my  solemn  witness  that 
this  is  God's  work,  and  I  know  it  in 
every  fiber  of  my  being,  and  I  know 
that  it  is  what  Isaiah  saw  when  he 
said:  "Forasmuch  as  this  people  draw 
near  me  with  their  mouth,  and  with 
their  lips  do  honour  me,  but  have  re- 
moved their  heart  from  me,  and  their 
fear  toward  me  is  taught  by  the  precepts 
of  men: 


"Therefore,  behold,  I  will  proceed  to 
do  a  marvellous  work  among  this 
people,  even  a  marvellous  work  and  a 
wonder:  for  the  wisdom  of  their  wise 
men  shall  perish,  and  the  understand- 
ing of  their  prudent  men  shall  be  hid." 
(Isa.  29:13-14.) 

That  is  the  message  we  have  to  all 
the  world,  and  I  bear  you  my  witness 
that  there  isn't  an  honest  man  or  an 
honest  woman  in  this  world  who  really 
loves  the  Lord  who  wouldn't  join  this 
church  if  they  would  take  time  to  find 
out  what  it  really  is.  I  bear  you  that 
witness  and  pray  God  to  bless  you  all, 
in  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  I  should  like  to  speak  out  across  the 
land  to  the  youth  who  are  the  future 
of  the  Church  and  the  hope  of  the 
nations. 

I  found  my  theme  in  a  conversation 
with  a  young  man  in  a  South  Ameri- 
can airport,  where  we  were  both  de- 
layed by  late  planes.  His  hair  was 
long  and  his  face  bearded,  his  glasses 
large  and  round.  Sandals  were  on  his 
feet,  and  his  clothing  such  as  to  give 
the  appearance  of  total  indifference  to 
any  generally  accepted  standard  of 
style. 

I  did  not  mind  this.  He  was  earnest 
and  evidently  sincere.  He  was  edu- 
cated and  thoughtful,  a  graduate  of  a 
great  North  American  university. 
Without  employment  and  sustained  by 
his  father,  he  was  traveling  through 
South  America. 

What  was  he  after  in  life?  I  asked. 
"Peace — and  freedom"  was  his  imme- 
diate response.  Did  he  use  drugs?  Yes, 
they  were  one  of  his  means  to  obtain 
the  peace  and  freedom  he  sought.  Dis- 
cussion of  drugs  led  to  discussions  of 
morals.  He  talked  matter-of-factly 
about  the  new  morality  that  gave  so 


much  more  freedom  than  any  previous 
generation  had  ever  known. 

He  had  learned  in  our  opening  intro- 
ductions that  I  was  a  churchman;  and 
he  let  me  know,  in  something  of  a 
condescending  way,  that  the  morality 
of  my  generation  was  a  joke.  Then 
with  earnestness  he  asked  how  I  could 
honestly  defend  personal  virtue  and 
moral  chastity.  I  shocked  him  a  little 
when  I  declared  that  his  freedom  was 
a  delusion,  that  his  peace  was  a  fraud, 
and  that  I  would  tell  him  why. 

Our  flights  were  called  shortly  after 
that,  and  we  had  to  separate.  Since 
then  I  have  thought  much  of  our  dis- 
cussion. I  would  hope  that  he  might 
be  listening  somewhere  today.  He  is 
part  of  a  challenging  generation  num- 
bered in  the  millions  who,  in  a  search 
for  freedom  from  moral  restraint  and 
peace  from  submerged  conscience,  have 
opened  a  floodgate  of  practices  that 
enslave  and  debauch,  and  which,  if 
left  unchecked,  will  not  only  destroy 
individuals  but  also  the  nations  of 
which  they  are  a  part. 

I  thought  of  this  freedom  and  this 
peace  when  I  recently  faced  a  young 


man  and  a  young  woman  across  the 
desk  of  my  office.  He  was  handsome, 
tall,  and  manly.  She  was  a  beautiful 
girl,  an  excellent  student,  sensitive  and 
perceptive. 

The  girl  sobbed,  and  tears  fell  from 
the  eyes  of  the  young  man.  They  were 
freshmen  in  the  university.  They  were 
to  be  married  the  next  week,  but  not 
in  the  kind  of  wedding  of  which  they 
had  dreamed.  They  had  planned  that 
would  come  three  years  from  now, 
following  graduation. 

Now  they  found  themselves  in  a 
situation  both  regretted  and  for  which 
neither  was  prepared.  Shattered  were 
their  dreams  of  schooling,  the  years  of 
preparation  they  knew  each  needed  for 
the  competitive  world  that  lay  ahead. 
Rather,  they  would  now  have  to  estab- 
lish a  home,  he  to  become  the  bread- 
winner at  the  best  figure  his  meager 
skills  could  command. 

The  young  man  looked  up  through 
his  tears.  "We  were  sold  short,"  he 
said. 

"We've  cheated  one  another,"  she 
responded.  "We've  cheated  one  an- 
other and  the  parents  who  love  us — 


Era,  December  1970    71 


and  we've  cheated  ourselves.  We  were 
betrayed.  We  fell  for  the  rubbish 
that  virtue  is  hypocrisy;  and  we've 
found  that  the  new  morality,  the  idea 
that  sin  is  only  in  one's  mind,  is  a 
booby  trap  that's  destroyed  us." 

They  spoke  of  a  thousand  thoughts 
that  had  crossed  their  minds  in  the 
fearful  days  and  the  anxious  nights  of 
the  past  few  weeks.  Should  she  seek 
an  abortion?  The  temptation  was  there 
in  the  frightening  contemplation  of  the 
ordeal  that  lay  ahead.  No,  never,  she 
had  concluded.  Life  is  sacred  under 
any  circumstance.  How  could  she  ever 
live  with  herself  if  she  took  measures 
to  destroy  the  gift  of  life  even  under 
these  conditions? 

Perhaps  she  could  go  to  some  place 
where  she  was  not  known,  and  he 
could  go  on  with  his  schooling.  The 
child  could  be  placed  for  adoption. 
There  were  excellent  organizations  that 
could  assist  in  such  a  program,  and 
there  were  good  families  anxious  for 
children.  But  they  had  dismissed  that 
thought. 

He  would  never  leave  her  to  face 
her  trial  alone.  He  was  responsible, 
and  he  would  meet  that  responsibility 
even  though  it  blighted  the  future  of 
which  he  had  dreamed. 

I  admired  his  courage,  his  determina- 
tion to  make  the  best  of  a  difficult 
situation;  but  my  heart  ached  as  I 
watched  them,  bereft  and  sobbing. 
Here  was  tragedy.  Here  was  heart- 
break. Here  was  entrapment.  Here  was 
bondage. 

They  had  been  told  of  freedom,  that 
evil  was  only  a  thing  of  the  mind. 
But  they  found  they  had  lost  their 
freedom.  Nor  did  they  know  peace. 
They  had  bartered  their  peace  and 
their  freedom — the  freedom  to  marry 
when  they  chose  to  marry,  the  freedom 
to  secure  the  education  of  which  they 
had  dreamed,  and,  more  importantly, 
the  peace  of  self-respect. 

My  young  friend  in  the  airport 
might  have  countered  my  story  by 
saying  that  they  were  not  smart.  Had 
they  been  wise  to  the  things  available 
to  them,  they  would  not  have  found 
themselves  in  this  sorry  situation. 

I  should  have  replied  that  their 
situation  is  far  from  unique  and  that 
it  is  daily  growing  more  acute.  In 
1968  there  were  165,700  births  to  un- 
wed schoolgirls  in  the  United  States 
alone,  with  an  average  annual  increase 
of  12,000.  (Reader's  Digest,  September 
1970,  p.  170.) 

Can  there  be  peace  in  the  heart  of 
any  man,  can  there  be  freedom  in  the 
life  of  one  who  has  left  only  misery 
as  the  bitter  fruit  of  his  indulgence? 

Can  anything  be  more  false  or  dis- 
honest than  gratification  of  passion 
without  acceptance  of  responsibility? 


I  have  seen  in  Korea  the  tragic 
aftermath  of  war  in  the  thousands  of 
orphans  born  of  Korean  mothers  and 
soldier  fathers.  They  have  been  aban- 
doned, creatures  of  sorrow,  unwanted, 
the  flotsam  of  a  miserable  tide  of 
immorality. 

It  is  so  in  Vietnam.  Tens  of  thou- 
sands of  such,  according  to  reports. 
Peace  and  freedom?  There  can  be 
neither  for  him  who  has  wantonly 
indulged  nor  for  those  left  as  the 
innocent  and  tragic  victims  of  his  lust. 

Men  are  prone  to  gloat  over  their 
immoral  conquests.  What  a  cheap  and 
sullied  victory.  There  is  no  conquest 
in  such.  It  is  only  self-deception  and 
a  miserable  fraud.  The  only  conquest 
that  brings  satisfaction  is  the  conquest 
of  self.  It  was  said  of  old  that  "he  that 
governeth  himself  is  greater  than  he 
that  taketh  a  city." 

Are  not  the  words  of  Tennyson  still 
appropriate:  "My  strength  is  as  the 
strength  of  ten,  Because  my  heart  is 
pure."  (Alfred,  Lord  Tennyson,  "Sir 
Galahad.") 

You  expect  me  to  speak  in  this  fash- 
ion. But  listen  to  the  conclusion  of 
renowned  historians  Will  and  Ariel 
Durrant.  Their  language  may  sound  a 
little  indelicate  for  an  occasion  like 
this,  but  my  young  friends  will  under- 
stand it.  Out  of  the  vast  experience  of 
writing  a  thousand  years  of  history, 
Dr.  and  Mrs.  Durrant  say: 

"No  one  man,  however  brilliant  or 
well  informed  can  come  in  one  life- 
time to  such  fullness  of  understanding 
as  to  safely  judge  and  dismiss  the  cus- 
toms or  institutions  of  his  society,  for 
these  are  the  wisdom  of  generations 
after  centuries  of  experiment  in  the 
laboratory  of  history.  A  youth  boiling 
with  hormones  will  wonder  why  he 
should  not  give  full  freedom  to  his 
sexual  desires;  and  if  he  is  unchecked 
by  custom,  morals,  or  laws,  he  may 
ruin  his  life  before  he  matures  suffi- 
ciently to  understand  that  sex  is  a 
river  of  fire  that  must  be  banked  and 
cooled  by  a  hundred  restraints  if  it  is 
not  to  consume  in  chaos  both  the  indi- 
vidual and  the  group."  (The  Lessons  of 
History,  pp.  35-36.) 

Self-discipline  was- never  easy.  I  do 
not  doubt  that  it  is  more  difficult  today. 
We  live  in  a  sex-saturated  world.  Not- 
withstanding the  conclusions  of  a 
government  commission,  which  I  am 
happy  to  say  has  been  widely  repudi- 
ated, I  am  convinced  that  many  of  our 
youth,  and  many  older  but  no  less 
gullible,  are  victims  of  the  persuasive 
elements  with  which  they  are  sur- 
rounded— the  pornographic  literature 
which  has  become  a  $500  million  a 
year  business  in  this  country  alone, 
seductive  movies  that  excite  and  give 
sanction  to  promiscuity,  dress  standards 


that  invite  familiarity,  judicial  deci- 
sions that  destroy  legal  restraint,  par- 
ents who  often  unwittingly  push  the 
children  they  love  toward  situations 
they  later  regret. 

A  wise  writer  has  observed  that  "a 
new  religion  is  emerging  throughout 
the  world,  a  religion  in  which  the 
body  is  the  supreme  object  of  worship 
to  the  exclusion  of  all  other  aspects 
of  existence. 

"The  pursuit  of  its  pleasures  has 
grown  into  a  cult  ...  for  its  ritual  no 
efforts  are  spared. 

"We  have  bartered  holiness  for  con- 
venience, .  .  .  wisdom  for  information, 
joy  for  pleasure,  tradition  for  fashion." 
(Abraham  Heschel,  The  Insecurity  of 
Freedom,  p.  200.) 

Nakedness  has  become  the  hallmark 
of  much  public  entertainment.  It 
reaches  beyond  this  into  the  realm  of 
sadistic  perversion.  As  one  seasoned 
New  York  critic  remarked,  "It's  not 
only  the  nudity;  it's  the  crudity." 

Can  there  be  any  reasonable  doubt 
that  in  sowing  the  wind  of  pornog- 
raphy, we  are  reaping  the  whirlwind 
of  decay? 

We  need  to  read  more  history.  Na- 
tions and  civilizations  have  flowered, 
then  died,  poisoned  by  their  own  moral 
sickness.  As  one  commentator  has  re- 
marked, Rome  perished  when  the 
Goths  poured  over  its  walls.  But  it 
was  "not  that  the  walls  were  low.  It 
was  that  Rome  itself  was  low."  (Jenkin 
Lloyd  Jones,  U.  S.  News  &  World  Re- 
port, May  26,  1962,  p.  90.) 

No  nation,  no  civilization  can  long 
endure  without  strength  in  the  homes 
of  its  people.  That  strength  derives 
from  the  integrity  of  those  who  estab- 
lish those  homes. 

No  family  can  have  peace,  no  home 
can  be  free  from  storms  of  adversity 
unless  that  family  and  that  home  are 
built  on  foundations  of  morality,  fidel- 
ity, and  mutual  respect.  There  cannot 
be  peace  where  there  is  not  trust;  there 
cannot  be  freedom  where  there  is  not 
loyalty.  The  warm  sunlight  of  love 
will  not  rise  out  of  a  swamp  of  im- 
morality. 

As  with  the  bud,  so  with  the  blossom. 
Youth  is  the  seedtime  for  the  future 
flowering  of  family  life.  To  hope  for 
peace  and  love  and  gladness  out  of 
promiscuity  is  to  hope  for  that  which 
will  never  come.  To  wish  for  freedom 
out  of  immorality  is  to  wish  for  some- 
thing that  cannot  be.  Said  the  Savior, 
"Whosoever  committeth  sin  is  the 
servant  of  sin."  (John  8:34.) 

Is  there  a  valid  case  for  virtue?  It  is 
the  only  way  to  freedom  from  regret. 
The  peace  of  conscience  which  flows 
therefrom  is  the  only  personal  peace 
that  is  not  counterfeit. 

And  beyond  all  of  this  is  the  unfail- 


72 


ing  promise  of  God  to  those  who  walk 
in  virtue.  Declared  Jesus  of  Nazareth, 
speaking  on  the  mountain,  "Blessed 
are  the  pure  in  heart:  for  they  shall 
see  God."  (Matt.  5:8.)  That  is  a  cove- 
nant, made  hy  him  who  has  the  power 
to  fulfill. 

And  again,  the  voice  of  modern  reve- 
lation speaks  a  promise — an  unmatched 
promise  that  follows  a  simple  com- 
mandment: 

Here  is  the  commandment:  ".  .  .  let 
virtue  garnish  thy  thoughts  unceas- 
ingly." And  here  is  the  promise:  ".  .  . 
Then  shall  thy  confidence  wax  strong 
in  the  presence  of  God.  .  .  . 

"The  Holy  Ghost  shall  be  thy  con- 
stant companion, .  .  .  and  thy  dominion 
shall  be  an  everlasting  dominion,  and 
without  compulsory  means  it  shall 
flow  unto  thee  forever  and  ever." 
(D&C  121:45-46.) 

Just  a  word  or  two  concerning  this 
marvelous  promise — 


It  has  been  my  privilege  on  various 
occasions  to  converse  with  Presidents 
of  the  United  States  and  important 
men  in  other  governments.  At  the 
close  of  each  such  occasion  I  have  re- 
flected on  the  rewarding  experience  of 
standing  with  confidence  in  the  pres- 
ence of  an  acknowledged  leader.  And 
then  I  have  thought,  what  a  wonderful 
thing,  what  a  marvelous  thing  it  would 
be  to  stand  with  confidence — unafraid 
and  unashamed  and  unembarrassed — 
in  the  presence  of  God.  This  is  the 
promise  held  out  to  every  virtuous 
man  and  woman. 

I  know  of  no  greater  promise  made 
by  God  to  man  than  this  promise  made 
to  those  who  let  virtue  garnish  their 
thoughts  unceasingly. 

Channing  Pollock  once  remarked: 
"A  world  in  which  everyone  believed 
in  the  purity  of  women  and  the  nobil- 
ity of  men,  and  acted  accordingly, 
would  be  a  very  different  world,  but 


a  grand  place  to  live  in."  (Reader's 
Digest,  June  1960,  p.  76.) 

I  assure  you,  my  young  friends,  that 
it  would  be  a  world  of  freedom  in 
which  the  spirit  of  man  might  grow  to 
undreamed-of  glory,  a  world  of  peace, 
the  peace  of  clear  conscience,  of  un- 
sullied love,  of  fidelity,  of  unfailing 
trust  and  loyalty. 

This  may  appear  an  unattainable 
dream  for  the  world.  But  for  each  of 
you  it  can  be  a  reality,  and  the  world 
will  become  so  much  the  richer  and 
the  stronger  for  the  virtue  of  your 
individual  lives. 

God  bless  you  to  realize  this  free- 
dom, to  know  this  peace,  to  gain  this 
blessing,  I  humbly  pray,  as  I  leave  with 
you  my  witness  of  the  truth  of  these 
things;  and  as  a  servant  of  the  Lord, 
I  promise  you  that  if  you  will  sow  in 
virtue,  you  will  reap  in  gladness  now 
and  in  all  years  yet  to  come,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.   Amen.  O 


Saturday  afternoon  session,  October  3,  1970 


The  Years  That  the  Locust  Hath  Eaten 


Elder  Spencer  W.  Kimball 

Acting  President  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


•  My  brothers  and  sisters  and  friends, 
and  especially  our  good  folks  from 
overseas  and  of  a  different  tongue:  It 
is  a  joy  to  be  with  you  in  this  great 
conference. 

To  the  right  of  us  a  hundred  yards 
is  a  beautiful  granite  monument 
crowned  with  a  stone  globe,  and  on  it, 
two  bronze  seagulls.  Before  this  monu- 
ment have  stood  millions  of  tourists, 
as  they  heard  the  absorbing  story  of 
the  "Mercy  of  God  to  the  Mormon 
Pioneers." 

The  bronze  wings  of  the  birds  are 
spread  wide,  as  are  the  great  arms  of 
the  Church,  to  envelop  all  the  peoples 
of  the  world;  and  the  granite  globe  is 
prophetic  of  the  worldwide  Church  and 
reminiscent  of  Daniel's  envisioned 
stone  cut  out  of  the  mountain  without 


hands,  to  roll  forth  and  fill  the  whole 
earth. 

On  the  tablets  is  told  the  story  of 
the  virgin  desert  lands,  of  ox  teams,  of 
plowmen  and  wide-flung  arms  sowing 
grain.  It  pictures  the  invasion  of  the 
merciless  insects,  and  the  hopeless  bat- 
tle represented  by  the  man  sinking  to 
the  earth,  listless,  with  his  hanging 
hands  and  bowed  head.  Despair  has 
engulfed  him.  The  woman  is  also 
toil-worn,  with  something  pathetic  in 
her  body-weariness,  her  head  raised  to 
the  pitiless  skies.  They  see  the  gulls 
overhead.  Are  they  coming  to  complete 
the  devastation?  The  conquest  of  the 
gulls  and  the  harvesting  of  the  grain 
that  was  saved  is  pictured.  Total 
famine  would  now  be  averted. 

The  Egyptian  scourge  was  not  the 


first,  nor  was  the  Mormon  disaster  the 
last  of  the  invasion  by  the  crickets,  the 
grasshoppers,  the  locusts.  Years  ago, 
when  we  visited  Australia,  we  fre- 
quently heard  that  a  man  had  "dropped 
his  bundle."  We  came  to  know  that 
it  had  a  similar  meaning  there  to  the 
phrase  we  often  use  here:  "He  didn't 
make  the  grade"  or  "He  missed  the 
boat."  As  I  read  the  old  scriptures,  I 
find  that  the  ancients  characterized 
such  a  situation  with  the  phrase  "The 
years  that  the  locust  hath  eaten." 

We  are  told  that  the  locust  is  a 
species  of  a  large  family  of  insects  with 
blunt  antennae,  long  hind  legs,  thick 
thighs  that  make  the  familiar  sound 
when  scraped  on  the  fore  wings.  They 
breed  in  river  bottoms  and  sunny  de- 
pressions and  multiply  at  an  alarming 


Era,  December  1970    73 


An  audio  engineer  in  the  sound  control  room  follows  the  text  of  an  address  being  de- 
livered at  the  pulpit. 


rate  and  fill  the  air,  obliterating  the 
daylight.  Hordes  of  these  insects  have 
plagued  western  United  States  as  well 
as  many  other  parts  of  the  world  and 
caused  billions  of  dollars  of  damage 
and  ruin.  They  have  caused  numerous 
famines  and  the  deaths  of  great  num- 
bers of  people. 

These  insects,  as  with  the  cricket 
war  in  Utah,  were  heavily  involved  in 
the  Egyptian  story: 

Moses  and  Aaron  pleaded,  and 
threatened  Pharaoh  to  release  his  army 
of  slaves.  The  monarch  was  obdurate, 
deceptive,  and  stubborn.  During  the 
suffering  of  each  plague  he  made  the 
promise,  but  when  relief  came,  he 
ignored  his  promise. 

Moses  warned:  "Thus  saith  the  Lord 
God  .  .  .  How  long  wilt  thou  refuse  to 
humble  thyself  .  .  .  ?  let  my  people  go, 
that  they  may  serve  me."  (Exod.  10:3.) 

In  sucession  came  the  plagues:  when 
"all  the  waters  that  were  in  the  river 
were  turned  to  blood";  and  when  "the 
frogs  came  up,  and  covered  the  land  of 
Egypt";  and  when  "there  came  a 
grievous  swarm  of  flies";  when  "the 
dust  of  the  earth  .  .  .  became  lice"; 
when  ashes  sprinkled  by  Moses  "be- 
came a  boil  breaking  forth  with  blains 
upon  man,  and  upon  beast." 

There  came  "thunder  and  hail,  and 
the  fire  ran  along  upon  the  ground; 
.  .  .  And  the  hail  smote  ...  all  that  was 


in  the  field,  .  .  .  every  herb  .  .  .  ,  and 
brake  every  tree  of  the  field."  "And  the 
flax  and  the  barley  was  smitten;  for 
the  barley  was  in  the  ear,  and  the  flax 
was  boiled."  (Exod.  7:20;  8:6,  24,  17; 
9:10,  23,  25,  31.) 

Upon  Pharaoh's  repeated  rejection, 
Moses  quoted  the  Lord: 

".  .  .  let  my  people  go.  .  .  .  Else,  if 
thou  refuse  .  .  .  ,  behold,  tomorrow 
will  I  bring  the  locusts  into  thy  coast." 
(Exod.  10:3-4.) 

"Thou  shalt  carry  much  seed  out  into 
the  field,  and  shall  gather  very  little  in; 
for  the  locust  shall  consume  it."  (Deut. 
28:38.   Italics  added.) 

".  .  .  and  when  it  was  morning,  the 
east  wind  brought  the  locusts. 

".  .  .  so  that  the  land  was  darkened; 
and  .  .  .  there  remained  not  any  green 
thing  in  the  trees,  or  in  the  herbs  of 
the  field,  through  all  the  land  of 
Egypt."  (Exod.  10:13,  15.) 

What  the  palmerworm  left,  the  lo- 
cust ate,  and  what  the  locust  left,  the 
caterpillar  ate.  And  another  crop  was 
gone. 

And  as  I  remembered  the  "years  that 
the  locust  hath  eaten,"  I  reflected  on 
the  lost  weekends  and  wasted  years  of 
many  people. 

From  a  distant  state  a  letter  came 
from  a  man  who  had  been  baptized 
a  year  before.   I  quote  from  his  letter: 

"I  will  appreciate  it  if  you  will  re- 


move my  name  from  the  roster  of  the 
Church.  I  find  the  .  .  .  requirements 
of  the  Church  too  great.  I  was  .  .  .  led 
...  by  the  missionaries  to  the  receiving 
of  instructions.  The  next  thing  I  knew, 
my  baptism  was  planned.  I  do  not 
regret  this  completely,  for  it  was  edu- 
cational. 

"Finally,  I  came  to  realize  what  1 
had  gotten  myself  involved  in. 

"I  was  unable  to  forgo  the  four 
No's — tobacco,  liquor,  coffee  and  tea. 
...  It  causes  me  more  anxiety  than  I 
am  able  to  cope  with.  And  my  person- 
ality requires  acceptance  .  .  .  and  I 
feel  unaccepted  when  unable  to  par- 
take of  the  pleasures  of  my  companions. 

"Also,  I  find  that  I  cannot  give  from 
three  to  five  hours  on  Sunday  and  one 
tenth  of  my  earnings.  This  is  against 
my  basic  nature.  .  .  . 

"I  am  very  sorry  that  I  have  caused 
you  this  trouble.  No  one  should  con- 
sider himself  at  fault.  ...  It  is  mine 
alone.  I  hope  that  you  can  forgive 
me  .  .  .  my  decision  is  final." 

His  final  decision  was  sad  indeed. 
His  years  follow  each  other  and  are 
figuratively  eaten  by  the  locusts,  the 
cankerworm,  and  the  caterpillar,  while 
he  returns  to  the  world. 

Contrary  to  this,  generally,  our 
people  are  not  disturbed  about  four  or 
five  hours  of  devotion  on  the  Sabbath 
and  giving  one  tenth  of  their  income 
and  the  four  no's. 

Marden  says:  ".  .  .  the  mill  can 
never  grind  with  the  water  which  has 
passed."  (Orison  S.  Marden,  Pushing 
to  the  Front,  vol.  1,  p.  13.) 

Some  days  ago,  a  family  of  new 
members  were  beaming  as  they  shook 
my  hand.  I  asked  them  how  long  they 
had  been  members  of  the  Church  and 
the  answer  was  "Two  months."  Then, 
with  enthusiasm  and  regret,  they  said, 
"Think  of  all  these  years  we  could 
have  been  so  happy  in  the  Church!" 
The  locusts  had  eaten  their  years. 

Someone  said,  "  'O,  that  I  had!'  or 
'O,  that  I  had  not!'  is  the  silent  cry  of 
many  a  man  who  would  give  life  itself 
for  the  opportunity  to  go  back  and  re- 
trieve some  long  lost  error."  (Marden, 
p.  15.) 

In  1834,  a  high  council  was  being- 
organized  by  the  Prophet  Joseph  Smith. 
This  account  comes  from  L.  D.  Young: 

"...  I  committed  a  grave  error,  and 
desire  to  leave  a  record  of  it,  for  a  les- 
son to  others.  The  prophet  requested 
me  to  take  a  seat  with  the  brethren 
who  had  been  selected  for  this  [high] 
council.  Instead  of  doing  so,  I  arose 
and  pled  my  inability  to  fill  so  re- 
sponsible a  position,  manifesting,  I 
think,  considerable  earnestness  in  the 
matter. 

"The  prophet  then  said  he  merely 
desired  I  should  take  the  place;  but 


74 


as  I  still  excused  myself,  he  appointed 
another  to  fill  it.  I  think  this  was  the 
reason  that  he  never  again  called  me 
to  fill  any  important  position  in  the 
priesthood.  I  have  since  learned  to  go 
where  I  am  called,  and  not  set  up  my 
judgment  against  that  of  those  who 
are  called  to  guide  in  this  kingdom." 

The  locust  went  to  work.  Think  of 
the  years  of  opportunity  this  good  man 
lost. 

Harriet  Winslow  said  of  opportunity: 

"The  golden  opportunity 

Is  never  offered  twice;  seize  then  the 

hour 
When  Fortune  smiles  and  Duty  points 

the  way. 

"Why  thus  longing,  thus  forever  sigh- 
ing, 

For  the  far-off,  unattained  and  dim, 

While  the  beautiful,  all  around  thee 
lying 

Offers  up  its  low,  perpetual  hymn?" 

I  know  one  man  who  was  greatly 
concerned  when  his  stake  president 
invited  him  to  be  the  bishop  of  the 
ward.  His  face  became  ashen.  He 
stammered  a  rejection.  He  declined 
the  great  privilege  of  being  a  judge  in 
Israel,  a  father  of  a  people,  a  leader  of 
men.  The  stake  president,  feeling  that 
it  was  mere  timidity  and  a  feeling  of 
inadequacy,  attempted  to  persuade,  but 
the  decision  was  made. 

Since  that  day  there  have  been  many 
years   that   "the   locusts  hath   eaten." 

In  this  connection,  I  also  think  of  the 
Sidney  Rigdons,  the  Oliver  Cowderys, 
the  Martin  Harrises,  and  the  many 
others  who  closed  the  doors  upon  their 
opportunities. 

"Remember  the  four  things  come  not 
back:  the  spoken  word,  the  sped  arrow, 
the  past  life,  and  the  neglected  oppor- 
tunity." (Marden,  p.  67.) 

Another  young  man  who  was  a 
faithful  member  of  the  Church  be- 
came infatuated  with  a  beautiful  girl 
not  a  member  of  the  Church,  and  when 
their  courtship  reached  the  marriage 
state,  it  was  set  to  be  a  civil  one,  "till 
death  do  you  part."  He  weakly  re- 
monstrated, but  she  with  greater 
strength  prevailed.  Temple  and  eter- 
nal marriage  had  no  meaning  for  her. 

He  would  hope  someday  to  bring 
her  into  the  Church,  but  the  years 
moved  on  at  a  rapid  pace,  and  the 
children  came  and  grew  up  without  the 
gospel.  The  opportunities  passed; 
years  were  lost — years  never  to  be  re- 
covered, for  time  flies  on  wings  of 
lightning,  and  you  cannot  call  it  back. 
Were  these  locust  years? 

Shakespeare  wrote: 

"There  is  a  tide  in  the  affairs  of  men, 


Which,  taken  at  the  flood,  leads  on  to 

fortune; 
Omitted,  all  the  voyage  of  their  life 
Is  bound  in  shadows  and  in  miseries; 
And  we  must  take  the  current  when 

it  serves, 
Or  lose  our  ventures. 

"Tis  never  offered  twice;  seize  the  hour 
When  fortune  smiles,  and  duty  points 

the  way; 
Nor  shrink  aside  to  'scape  the  specter 

fear, 
Nor    pause,    though    pleasure    beacon 

from  her  bower; 
But  bravely  bear  thee  onward  to  the 

goal." 

(Julius  Caesar,  Sc.  4,  act.  3.) 

The  locust  has  always  been  abroad. 
Civilization  is  cankered  by  the  canker- 
worm. 

Benjamin  Franklin  said:  "Dost  thou 
love  life?  Then  do  not  squander  time, 
for  that  is  the  stuff  life  is  made  of." 

And  another  said:  "Eternity  itself 
cannot  restore  the  loss  struck  from  the 
minute."  (Ancient  Post.) 

"I  wasted  time,  and  now  doth  time 
waste  me."  (Shakespeare.) 

When  I  was  a  little  boy,  I  was 
much  impressed  by  a  young  couple  just 
being  married  in  a  civil  marriage.  He 
was  a  handsome  swain,  with  a  sleek 
horse  and  rubber-tired  buggy  and  with 
money  to  spend.  She  was  the  "belle  of 
the  ball,"  coming  from  a  well-to-do 
family  so  that  her  clothes  and  her 
popularity  made  other  girls  envy  her. 

Their  marriage  was  what  might  be 
called  an  extravaganza. 

There  had  been  many  children  in 
both  families,  but  their  first  determina- 
tion was  that  "they  would  have  no 
kids." 

There  was  some  sort  of  surgery — no 
children  ever  came  to  that  home.  Their 
fun  continued — dancing,  riding,  par- 
ties. Through  the  years,  I  saw  them 
grow  old  and  lonely.  He  died  first. 
On.  a  main  street  in  the  little  town,  she 
lived  on  and  walked  daily  to  the  post 
office  and  to  the  grocery  store.  The 
years  sped  on  and  brought  a  bent  back 
and  a  slow  walk  with  a  cane  added. 
Loneliness  surrounded  her.  Her  broth- 
ers and  sisters  were  occupied  with  their 
families.  Visits  to  her  were  less  often 
and  for  shorter  periods.  There  was  no 
radio  or  television  that  long  ago.  Read- 
ing was  reduced  as  eyes  grew  dim. 
People  saw  her  less  often  and  missed 
her  less. 

One  day  someone  found  her.  She 
had  been  dead  for  days.  Alone  in  death 
as  she  had  been  alone  in  life.  No  lov- 
ing, dutiful  children  to  bury  her — no 
tear  shed — no  lament.  They  had  been 
wasted  years.  Were  they  years  that  the 
locust  hath  eaten? 


Someone  said: 

"Destiny  is  not  about  thee,  but  with- 
in— 

Thyself  must  make  thyself." 

(Marden,  p.  404.) 

Failure  to  plan  brings  barrenness  and 
sterility.  Fate  brushes  man  with  its 
wings,  but  we  make  our  own  fate 
largely.  Karl  G.  Maeser  gives  us  this 
thought: 

"And  the  books  will  be  opened  and 
my  guardian  angel  will  stand  by  me 
and  as  he  opens  the  book  he  wijl  say, 
'Look,'  and  I  will  look  and  say:  'How 
beautiful.'  And  the  angel  will  say, 
'That  is  what  you  could  have  been,' 
and  then  he  will  turn  the  leaf  and  say, 
'This  is  what  you  have  been.'  " 

And  Ingalls  gives  us  this: 

"Master  of  human  destinies  am  I, 
Fame,  love,  and  fortune  on  my  foot- 
steps wait. 
Cities  and  fields  I  walk,  I  penetrate 
Deserts  and  seas  remote,  and,  passing 

by 
Hovel,  and  mart,  and  palace,  soon  or 

late 
I  knock  unbidden,  once  at  every  gate! 

"If  sleeping,  wake — if  feasting,  rise  be- 
fore 
I  turn  away.  It  is  the  hour  of  fate, 
And  they  who  follow  me  reach  every 

state 
Mortals  desire,  and  conquer  every  foe 
Save  death;  but  those  who  doubt  or 

hesitate 
Condemned  to  failure,  penury  and  woe, 
Seek   me    in   vain    and   uselessly   im- 
plore— 
I  answer  not  and  I  return  no  more." 
— John  James  Ingalls, 
"Opportunities" 

The  world  is  full  of  opportunities 
missed.  Many  of  the  impressive  talks 
of  this  conference  have  told  of  people 
who  failed  to  accept  the  gospel  when 
presented;  of  dropouts  from  high 
school,  college,  and  employment;  of 
waste  through  drugs  and  immoralities; 
of  failures  to  accept  Church  and  com- 
munity service;  of  bypassing  a  proselyt- 
ing mission;  of  a  temporary  civil  mar- 
riage substituted  for  a  permanent 
eternal  one;  of  the  use  of  the  pill, 
abortion,  and  other  means  of  damaging 
or  destroying  the  family  and  home  life 
so  strongly  urged  as  vital  to  our  con- 
tinued civilization.  All  this  reminds  us 
that  though  we  must  be  in  the  world, 
we  need  not  be  of  the  world. 

May  we  grasp  our  opportunities,  live 
the  gospel  fully,  and  prepare  ourselves 
for  the  eternity  of  glory  which  is  our 
possible  destiny,  I  pray,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.    Amen.  O 


Era,  December  1970    75 


•  Man  is  a  spirit  living  in  a  house  of 
clay  called  a  physical  body.  This  com- 
bination of  spirit  and  body  is  called  a 
living  soul. 

Physical  bodies  are  made  of  flesh 
and  bone  and,  therefore,  have  tangible 
form  and  shape  and  are  easy  to  see  and 
feel  and  recognize.  The  spirit  also  has 
a  definite  form  and  shape  but  does  not 
have  flesh  and  bone  and,  therefore,  is 
not  easy  for  mortals  to  see,  feel,  and 
recognize. 

The  scriptures  tell  us  that  the  spirit 
and  the  body  in  which  it  lives  look 
very,  very  much  alike — and  are,  in  fact, 
made  in  the  image  and  likeness  of  God. 

The  word  life  means  that  the  spirit 
is  at  home  in  the  physical  body.  Death, 
on  the  other  hand,  means  that  the 
spirit  has  departed  the  physical  body. 
When  death  occurs  or  when  the  spirit 
leaves  the  physical  body,  the  physical 
body  decays  and  returns  to  the  dust 
whence  it  came.  However,  the  spirit 
continues  to  exist  in  another  realm 
called  "the  spirit  world"  and  still 
maintains  its  form  and  shape  and 
identity. 

Resurrection  is  a  process  whereby 
after  death  the  spirit  returns  and  re- 
enters the  body  and  becomes  again  a 
living,  immortal  soul,  immortal  mean- 
ing not  subject  to  death  or  separation. 
It  is  the  spirit  that  sees,  hears,  feels, 
knows  passion  and  desire;  it  is  the 
spirit  that  becomes  addicted  to  drugs, 
bad  habits,  and  evil  desires.  It  is  not 
the  physical  body  that  is  addicted,  but 
the  spirit,  which,  of  course,  is  the  real 
you  and  me.  We  are  spirits  just  as  God 
is  a  spirit. 

Sometimes  we  make  excuses  for  our- 
selves, when  we  do  what  we  should  not 


do  or  fall  short  of  what  we  should  have 
done.  We  use  such  expressions  as,  "Oh! 
the  spirit  is  willing  but  the  flesh  is 
weak."  With  such  rationalizations  we 
insinuate  that  it  is  our  physical  body's 
fault  that  we  sin.  As  a  matter  of  fact, 
this  is  not  true.  In  reality,  the  physi- 
cal body  is  the  strongest  part  of  us. 
Among  other  reasons,  it  was  given  to 
us  to  help  us  overcome  our  addictions, 
bad  habits,  and  evil  desires.  The  body 
is  very  obedient;  generally  speaking,  it 
will  do  exactly  what  the  spirit  tells  it 
to  do.  So  it  is  not  the  physical  body 
that  we  are  struggling  with;  it  is  the 
spirit  we  must  bring  into  subjection. 

Sometimes  we  seem  to  get  the  idea 
that  in  the  spirit  world,  we  will  be 
completely  different  individuals;  we 
will  suddenly  undergo  a  miraculous 
change  in  our  character  when  we  die. 
But  nothing  could  be  further  from  the 
truth.  "We,"  our  spirits,  do  not  change 
at  death;  we  are  still  the  same.  Amulek, 
a  great  Book  of  Mormon  prophet,  tells 
us  plainly  what  the  conditions  in  the 
spirit  world  will  be. 

"And  now,  as  I  said  unto  you  before, 
as  ye  have  had  so  many  witnesses, 
therefore,  I  beseech  of  you  that  ye  do 
not  procrastinate  the  day  of  your  re- 
pentance until  the  end;  for  after  this 
day  of  life,  which  is  given  us  to  prepare 
for  eternity,  behold,  if  we  do  not  im- 
prove our  time  while  in  this  life,  then 
cometh  the  night  of  darkness  wherein 
there  can  be  no  labor  performed. 

"Ye  cannot  say,  when  ye  are  brought 
to  that  awful  crisis,  that  I  will  repent, 
that  I  will  return  to  my  God.  Nay,  ye 
cannot  say  this;  for  that  same  spirit 
which  doth  possess  your  bodies  at  the 
time  that  ye  go  out  of  this  life,  that 


same  spirit  will  have  power  to  possess 
your  body  in  that  eternal  world."  (Al. 
34:33-34.) 

Thus  we  see  that  we  are  here  upon 
the  earth  to  "prepare  for  eternity,"  or 
more  simply  said,  we  are  here  to  get 
in  condition  to  leave.  And  everybody 
is  going  to  leave.  Nobody  gets  out  of 
this  life  alive.  Someone  has  said  that 
everybody  wants  to  go  to  heaven,  but 
nobody  wants  to  die  to  do  it.  But  as  a 
matter  of  fact,  we  have  to  die  to  do  it. 

Amulek  plainly  states  that  the  "same 
spirit  which  doth  possess  your  bodies 
at  the  time  that  ye  go  out  of  this  life, 
that  same  spirit  will  have  power  to 
possess  your  body  in  that  eternal 
world."  So,  we  do  not  change  just  be- 
cause we  die.  If  we  are  addicted  to 
drugs,  bad  habits,  or  evil  desires  here 
upon  the  earth,  we  shall  be  addicted 
to  the  same  things  in  the  spirit  world; 
if  we  are  a  "pill"  or  a  "crank"  or  a  liar 
here,  we  will  still  be  a  "pill"  or  a 
"crank"  or  a  liar  there. 

The  scriptures  speak  of  the  spirit 
world  as  being  two  different  places — as 
paradise  at  one  time,  and  as  spirit  pris- 
on at  another  time.  But  as  a  matter  of 
fact,  the  spirit  world  is  really  just  one 
place;  it  merely  depends  on  the  con- 
dition we  are  in  when  we  go  there 
as  to  what  it  will  be  for  us.  If  we  go 
there  addicted  to  drugs,  bad  habits,  or 
evil  desires,  it  will  be  a  prison. 

Our  Heavenly  Father  wants  us  to 
be  free;  he  doesn't  want  us  to  be  in 
bondage  to  our  appetites  and  passions. 
Therefore,  he  has  given  us  command- 
ments that  are  only  calculated  to  make 
us  free.  And  he  tells  us  that  all  of  his 
commandments  are  spiritual.  (See  D&C 
29:34.)   Never  at  any  time  has  he  given 


76 


a  commandment  that  is  not  spiritual. 
Even  the  Word  of  Wisdom  is  a  spiri- 
tual commandment  in  that  it  primarily 
affects  our  spirits,  and  certainly  it  does. 

To  illustrate,  I  knew  a  man  who  was 
a  member  of  the  Church  but  had  re- 
turned to  his  habit  of  smoking  ciga- 
rettes. He  said  he  didn't  want  to  smoke 
but  just  couldn't  help  it.  Of  course, 
he  could  have  overcome  the  habit  if 
he  had  really  wanted  to  while  he  had 
his  body  to  help  him.  If  the  spirit 
tells  the  body  not  to  pick  up  the 
cigarette,  the  body  won't  pick  it  up, 
and  abstinence  over  time  allows  the 
spirit  to  overcome  the  desire.  This  man 
finally  suffered  a  stroke.  His  body  was 
paralyzed  with  the  exception  of  his 
right  arm  and  his  eyes.  As  his  son-in- 
law  picked  him  up  from  the  porch 
of  his  house,  where  he  had  fallen,  with 
the  only  arm  this  man  could  move,  he 
reached  for  the  cigarette  in  his  son-in- 
law's  mouth,  but  he  could  not  hold 
onto  it.  His  son-in-law  held  the  lighted 
cigarette  to  the  stricken  man's  lips,  but 
in  his  condition  he  could  not  hold  it  in 
his  mouth. 

For  nine  months  this  man  lay  on 
his  bed.  He  actually  wore  out  the 
pocket  of  his  pajamas  reaching  into  it 
for  a  cigarette  that  was  not  there.  Then 
he  died  and  went  into  the  spirit  world. 
Do  you  suppose  he  still  wants  a  ciga- 
rette? On  the  basis  of  Amulek's  state- 
ment, he  does.  But  there  is  just  one 
catch — there  are  no  cigarettes  in  the 
spirit  world.  Would  you  suppose  he  is 
in  paradise  or  in  spirit  prison?  The 
answer  seems  only  too  obvious. 

Oh  yes,  it  is  possible  to  repent  in  the 
spirit  world,  although  we  are  given  to 
understand  that  it  is  much  more  diffi- 
cult to  repent  there  because  we  will 
not  have  our  physical  bodies  to  help 
us.  Also  an  integral  part  of  repentance 
is  that  we  must  make  restitution.  This 
means  that  if  you  have  stolen  five  dol- 
lars, you  have  to  return  five  dollars  to 
the  person  whom  you  have  robbed. 
This  may  be  very  difficult  to  do  in  the 
spirit  world.  You  can  also  understand 
then  why  murder  and  adultery  or 
fornication  are  such  grievous  sins;  how 
can  you  make  restitution?  Virtue  once 
gone  cannot  be  replaced.  Neither  can 
a  life  be  restored. 

It  may  be  very  difficult  to  gain  for- 
giveness for  these  kinds  of  sins.  Presi- 
dent Brigham  Young  said  it  is  a 
hundred  times  easier  to  repent  here  on 
the  earth  than  it  is  in  the  spirit  world. 
By  the  same  token,  if  we  go  there  in 
the  right  condition,  it  is  a  hundred 
times  easier  to  learn  in  the  spirit  world 
than  it  is  here  in  this  life.  So  we 
should  do  what  we  can  do  best  where 
we  are.  Now  is  the  best  time  to  repent; 
then  will  be  the  best  time  to  learn. 

The  resurrection  is  a  reality  made 


Era,  December  1970    77 


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possible  by  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  who, 
in  the  words  of  Paul,  was  "the  first- 
fruits  of  them  that  slept."  And  because 
he  was  resurrected,  everyone  who  has 
lived  or  will  live  upon  the  earth  will 
also  be  resurrected.  (See  1  Cor.  15:20- 
22.)  Whether  they  wish  to  be  or  not 
really  makes  no  difference — they  are 
going  to  live  again  anyway  and  be 
judged  according  to  their  works;  and 
the  condition  they  are  in  at  the  time 
of  their  resurrection  will  to  a  great 
extent  determine  their  reward.  Then 
they  who  are  filthy  shall  be  filthy  still. 
and  they  who  are  righteous  shall  be 
righteous  still.  (See  2  Ne.  9:16.)  And 
each  one  will  get  what  he  has  prepared 
himself  to  receive. 

As  much  as  our  Heavenly  Father 
loves  us  and  wants  to  help  us  to  avoid 
heartache  and  unhappiness,  still  there 
is  nothing  much  he  can  do  for  his 
children  unless  they  desire  it  done.  It 
is  a  startling  fact  to  most  Christian 
people  when  Mormon  elders  tell  them 


that  God  is  not  all-powerful  so  far  as 
man  is  concerned,  that  there  are  some 
things  he  cannot  do.  Heading  the  list 
is  the  fact  that  God,  our  Father,  cannot 
save  his  children  in  their  sins.  The 
prophet  Alma,  in  a  conversation  with 
a  man  professing  to  be  religious  but 
not  believing  in  God,  said,  "And  I  say 
unto  you  again  that  he  [God]  cannot 
save  them  in  their  sins;  for  I  cannot 
deny  his  word,  and  he  hath  said  that 
no  unclean  thing  can  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  heaven;  therefore,  how  can  ye 
be  saved,  except  ye  inherit  the  king- 
dom of  heaven?  Therefore,  ye  cannot 
be  saved  in  your  sins."  (Al.  11:37. 
Italics  added.) 

If  the  Lord  cannot  save  a  man  in  his 
sins,  neither  can  he  force  a  man  to 
repent.  Repentance  is  required  for 
exaltation,  but  repentance  is  a  volun- 
tary matter  and,  in  the  words  of  Paul, 
a  gift  of  God — not  a  gift  in  the  usual 
sense  of  an  object  presented  but  never- 
theless a  gift  in  a  real  sense,  presented 


to  each  of  us  by  the  Savior,  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ,  who  has  paid  the  price 
for  our  sins  on  condition  of  our  accept- 
ing his  sacrifice  for  us  through  repen- 
tance. The  Lord  has  given  us  a  key,,  a 
sign  of  repentance.  "By  this  ye  may 
know  if  a  man  repenteth  of  his  sins — 
behold,  he  will  confess  them  and  for- 
sake them."  (D&C  58:43.) 

I  bear  witness  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ 
and  that  he  lives  and  has  made  re- 
pentance possible  and  necessary  and 
required  of  all;  that  the  command- 
ments of  God  are  given  by  a  loving 
Father  to  make  us  free  here  on  earth 
and  in  the  spirit  world,  that  we  may 
enter  the  spirit  world  as  uninhibited 
spirits,  ready  to  receive  the  new  knowl- 
edge that  will  be  there  for  us,  and  to 
get  us  into  condition  to  receive  a  far 
greater  and  eternal  weight  of  glory 
through  the  resurrection  of  the  just.  I 
bear  this  witness  in  the  name  of 
our  Lord  and  Savior,  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  Q 


•  During  the  last  six  months  of  this 
year,  the  Saturday  night  leadership 
meetings  of  our  stake  conferences  are 
being  used  to  promote  the  double  ob- 
jectives of  the  military  relations  pro- 
gram of  the  Church.  It  is  of  primary 
importance  that  every  person  in  the 
world  should  understand  that  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  has  been  re- 
established upon  the  earth.  It  is  also 
important  to  know  that  governments 
were  instituted  of  God  for  the  benefit 
of  man  and  that  he  holds  us  account- 
able for  our  acts  in  relation  to  them. 
(See  D&C  134:1.) 

We  have  a  direct  revelation  from 
the  Lord  that  he  raised  up  wise  men 
to  establish  the  Constitution  of  this 
land,  and  he  requires  that  it  be  main- 


tained for  the  protection  of  all  flesh, 
according  to  just  and  holy  principles, 
that  everyone  may  act  according  to  his 
God-given  moral  agency.  It  is  a  di- 
vine decree  that  this  land  should  serve 
as  the  citadel  of  liberty.  And  it  is  the 
American  mission  to  keep  freedom, 
righteousness,  and  human  dignity  alive 
in  the  world.  (See  D&C  101:77-80; 
Preamble  to  the  Constitution.) 

How  grateful  we  ought  to  be  that 
God  raised  up  such  men  as  our  found- 
ing fathers  to  stand  in  the  forefront 
of  our  civilization  and  give  our  nation 
its  start  toward  its  destiny.  The  history 
of  our  world  would  have  been  vastly 
different  if  the  kind  of  men  who  use 
Stalin  blood  purges,  Hitler  gas  ovens, 
Castro  indignities,  and  Communist  de- 


ceptions as  instruments  of  government 
had  laid  our  national  foundations  or 
were  presently  manipulating  the  con- 
trols of  American  wealth  and  power. 

It  seems  to  me  that  above  most  other 
things  we  need  to  learn  to  be  good 
soldiers.  Whether  we  are  in  or  out  of 
uniform,  we  should  develop  those  sure 
and  steady  qualities  of  always  being 
faithful,  of  always  being  loyal,  of  al- 
ways living  at  our  best,  and  of  always 
being  successful. 

In  1835  a  French  visitor,  by  the  name 
of  Alexis  de  Tocqueville,  made  a  de- 
tailed study  of  our  national  operations. 
Later  he  wrote  in  his  book:  "America 
is  great  because  she  is  good.  And  if 
America  ever  ceases  to  be  good,  she  will 
cease  to  be  great."    This  is  a  divine 


78 


law  that  applies  to  all  nations  and  to 
all  individuals.  But  it  applies  particu- 
larly to  us,  because  our  extraordinary 
power  and  our  extraordinary  mission 
give    us    extraordinary    responsibilities. 

When  we  sing  "God  Bless  America," 
what  kind  of  an  America  should  we 
have  in  mind?  Certainly  not  a 
drunken  America,  nor  a  criminal 
America,  nor  an  irresponsible  America. 
We  must  not  build  an  atheistic  Amer- 
ica; nor  a  disloyal  America,  nor  a  weak 
America,  nor  an  immoral  America.  And 
to  effectively  serve  God  and  our 
country,  every  good  church  member 
and  every  good  citizen  should  be  con- 
stantly waging  war — not  a  war  against 
anybody,  but  a  war  for  everybody,  a 
war  for  God  and  for  freedom  and  for 
truth  and  for  righteousness  and  for 
success. 

Sometime  ago  a  43-year-old  man 
reenlisted  in  the  army.  A  friend  said 
to  him,  "Don't  you  think  that  you  have 
already  done  enough  for  your  country?" 
He  replied,  "Can  anyone  ever  do 
enough  for  his  country?"  And  President 
John  F.  Kennedy  pointed  the  American 
way  to  success  in  his  inaugural  address 
when  he  said,  "Fellow  Americans,  ask 
not  what  your  country  can  do  for  you, 
ask  what  you  can  do  for  your  country." 
Then,  in  the  tradition  of  the  prophets, 
he  sealed  his  testimony  with  his  blood. 

Every  God-fearing,  freedom-loving, 
truth-seeking  person  in  the  world,  re- 
gardless of  nation,  creed,  color,  or  race, 
should  constantly  be  praying  and  con- 
tinually be  working  for  a  strong,  en- 
during, righteous  United  States  of 
America.  For  if  any  communistic 
combination  of  nations  should  ever 
reach  their  announced  goal  of  world 
domination,  then  none  of  our  other 
problems  would  ever  again  seem  of 
very  great  consequence.  As  Emerson, 
the  spokesman  for  an  earlier  America, 
said:  "For  what  avail  the  plow  or  sail, 
Or  land  or  life,  if  freedom  fail?" 

Too  often  we  accept  the  blessings  of 
religion  and  the  advantages  of  govern- 
ment and  then  ignore  our  duties  and 
deny  our  responsibilities.  We  pledge 
allegiance  to  the  flag,  but  we  allow 
ourselves  to  be  divided  by  foreign 
troublemakers,  despoiled  by  irrespon- 
sible vandals,  weakened  by  criminal 
race-rioters,  and  sickened  by  traitors 
conducting  senseless  demonstrations 
against  the  government  and  our  duly 
elected  leaders. 

That  fundamental  principle  is  still 
in  effect  that  says,  "United  we  stand, 
divided  we  fall."  And  the  Master  him- 
self has  said,  "If  ye  are  not  one,  ye 
are  not  mine."  It  is  significant  that 
many  of  the  greatest  men  that  God 
has  ever  raised  up  out  of  the  dust  of 
this  earth  have  been  military  men. 

We  have  national  holidays  to  com- 
memorate   the    birthdays    of    George 


Washington,  the  father  of  his  country, 
and  Abraham  Lincoln,  who  saved  it 
from  dissolution.  Both  were  our 
commanders-in-chief  during  important 
wars.  Some  of  our  more  recent  war 
heroes  were  John  J.  Pershing,  Douglas 
McArthur,  Dwight  D.  Eisenhower,  and 
our  present  great  commander-in-chief, 
Richard  M.  Nixon.  We  should  also 
keep  in  mind  that  the  greatest  of  all 
military  men  was  the  Son  of  God  him- 
self. In  the  war  in  heaven,  he  led  the 
forces  of  righteousness  against  the 
rebellion  of  Lucifer.  We  can  also  draw- 
great  significance  from  the  fact  that 
before  the  Savior  of  the  world  was  the 
Prince  of  Peace,  he  was  Jehovah  the 
warrior. 

The  Bible  says  that  the  Lord  is  a 
man  of  war.  And  the  Lord  is  his  name. 
(Exod.  15:3.)  It  should  be  very  helpful 
for  each  soldier,  as  he  enters  military 
service,  to  receive  a  Book  of  Mormon 
from  the  Church.  This  important  book 
of  scripture  was  written  by  ancient 
prophets  who  occupied  our  continent 
before  us.  And  it  was  compiled  by 
Mormon,  that  great  pre-Columbus 
American  general  whose  name  it  bears. 
This  is  significant,  as  he  was  one  of 
the  greatest  authorities  about  those 
very  principles  on  which  our  present 
success  depends. 

When  he  was  only  ten  years  of  age, 
Mormon  received  the  divine  call  to  his 
life's  work  of  compiling  this  book  for 
our  benefit.  (Morm.  1:2.)  Then,  like 
young  Samuel  at  Shiloh,  he  received  a 
personal  visitation  from  the  Lord  at 
age  15.  (Morm.  1:15.)  At  age  16  he  was 
appointed  to  lead  the  armies  of  the 
Nephite  republic  against  its  adversaries, 
the  Lamanites,  and  his  commission  ex- 
tended over  58  years,  until  his  death  at 
age  74.  (Mor.  2:2;  6:6;  8:3.)  No  weak- 
ling or  coward  survives  a  test  like  that. 
Mormon  was  a  prophet,  an  author,  a 
historian,  and  he  had  the  most  ex- 
tended military  career  on  record. 

He  taught  his  soldiers  the  arts  and 
strategies  of  war.  But  he  also  taught 
them  that  the  most  important  qualifi- 
cation for  being  a  good  soldier  is  to  be 
a  good  man.  Through  Mormon,  God 
offered  the  Nephite  army  victory  at 
any  time  that  they  would  obey  those 
laws  of  righteousness  on  which  all 
military  as  well  as  all  other  success 
finally  depends.  The  greatest  nations 
of  the  past  have  fallen  because  they 
have  disobeyed  God's  laws  of  success. 
And  if  we  desire  to  be  good  soldiers, 
we  must  avoid  their  mistakes.  A  road- 
side billboard  for  an  oil  company  says 
"A  Clean  Engine  Produces  Power" — 
and  so  do  a  clean  mind  and  a  loyal 
heart. 

It  is  extremely  unfortunate  that  so 
many,  while  officially  representing 
"this  nation  under  God,"  should  use 
the  army  as  an  excuse  to  throw  off  their 


moral  restraints  and  do  those  things 
to  which  the  Ruler  of  the  Universe  so 
seriously  objects.  Anyone  who  lays 
aside  his  religion  when  he  enters  mili- 
tary service  is  like  the  one  who  removes 
his  armor  under  fire.  And  from  any 
point  of  view,  no  drunken,  immoral, 
irreverent,  cowardly,  disobedient  army 
is  entitled  to  win  victories.  Washing- 
ton was  at  his  best  when  on  his  knees 
at  Valley  Forge.  Lincoln  said  that  he 
was  not  so  much  concerned  about 
whether  or  not  God  was  on  his  side, 
but  it  was  very  important  for  him  to  be 
on  God's  side.  How  inspiring  it  ought 
to  be  for  our  present-day  soldiers  to 
carry  with  them  into  battle  the  inspired 
teachings  of  this  great  prophet-general, 
who,  over  a  long  period,  had  the 
closest  kind  of  association  with  the 
God  of  success.  He  failed  only,  as  the 
Savior  failed,  because  his  soldiers  re- 
fused to  follow,  but  he  tried  magnifi- 
cently. Mormon  said,  "I  speak  it 
boldly;  God  hath  commanded  me." 
(Moro.  8:21.)  And  he  carried  out  every 
command. 

With  prophetic  vision,  Mormon 
looked  down  to  our  time.  And  he  was 
greatly  concerned  about  what  he  saw. 
He  tried  to  stimulate  our  responsibility 
by  recalling  the  divine  decree  that  says 
that  we  must  obey  the  God  of  this 
land  or  we  shall  be  swept  off  when 
the  fullness  of  his  wrath  shall  come 
upon  us.   Mormon  said: 

"Behold,  I  speak  unto  you  as  though 
I  spake  from  the  dead;  for  I  know  that 
ye  shall  hear  my  words."  (Morm. 
9:30.)  "Listen  unto  them  and  give 
heed,  or  they  will  stand  against  you 
at  the  judgment-seat  of  Christ."  (Moro. 
8:21.) 

And  I  imagine  that  when  that 
great  tribunal  sits  and  we  shall  stand 
before  it,  how  grateful  we  shall  feel  if 
we  have  been  wise  enough  to  follow 
his  inspired  leadership. 

Instead  of  getting  all  we  can  out  of 
the  government,  we  should  generate 
more  of  the  spirit  of  Nathan  Hale,  who 
said,  "I  only  regret  that  I  have  but  one 
life  to  lose  for  my  country."  The  Re- 
deemer himself  has  said:  "Greater 
love  hath  no  man  than  this,  that  a 
man  lay  down  his  life  for  his  friends." 
(John  15:13.)  And  then  in  this,  he 
also  set  us  a  personal  example.  This 
stimulating  idea  has  been  condensed 
into  verse,  wherein  the  poet  said: 

"To  every  man  upon  this  earth 
Death  cometh  soon  or  late; 
But  every  man  may  give  his  life 
To  something  good  and  great. 

"And  how  can  man  die  better 
Than  in  facing  fearful  odds, 
For  the  ashes  of  his  fathers 
And  the  temples  of  his  gods." 

(Author  unknown.) 


Era,  December  1970    79 


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And  so  again  we  might  ask  ourselves, 
Can  anyone  ever  do  enough  for  his 
country  or  for  God  or  for  the  people 
of  our  planet  with  whom  we  live? 
Before  signing  the  Declaration  of  In- 
dependence, our  founding  fathers  wrote 
above  their  signatures  their  own  de- 
termination to  live  by  their  convictions. 
They  said:  "And  in  support  of  this 
declaration,  we  mutually  pledge  to 
each  other  our  lives,  our  fortunes,  and 
our  sacred  honor."  That  was  about  all 
that  any  of  them  had  to  give.  And 
they  offered  it  freely,  without  any 
reservation.  We  have  much  more  at 
stake,  and  certainly  we  should  not  do 
less. 

Major  Martin  Treptow,  who  fought 
in  World  War  I,  was  a  good  soldier. 
Before  he  gave  his  life  in  the  battle  of 
Chateau-Thierry,  he  wrote  in  his 
diary,  "I  will  work,  I  will  save,  I  will 
sacrifice,  I  will  endure.  I  will  fight 
cheerfully  and  do  my  utmost  as  though 
the  entire  conflict  depended  upon  me 
alone."  And  whether  we  are  engaged 
on  a  moral  or   a  military  battlefield, 


even  one  man  can,  if  he  will,  change 
the  morale  of  a  whole  community. 

Our  lives  and  our  civilization  itself 
depend  upon  our  being  good  soldiers. 
This  great  truth  was  stated  by  Daniel 
Webster,  in  prophetic  language  before 
the  New  York  Historical  Society  on 
February  22,  1852,  just  before  his  death. 
Even  then  he  saw  some  of  those  dan- 
gers which  are  now  gathering  about  us. 
He  was  trying  to  help  us  to  be  good 
soldiers  when  he  said: 

"If  we  and  our  posterity  shall  be  true 
to  the  Christian  religion;  if  we  and 
they  shall  live  always  in  the  fear  of 
God  and  shall  respect  his  command- 
ments; .  .  .  we  may  have  the  highest 
hopes  of  the  future  fortunes  of  our 
country,  and  we  may  be  sure  of  one 
thing:  Our  country  will  go  on  prosper- 
ing. But  if  we  and  our  posterity  reject 
religious  instruction  and  authority, 
violate  the  rules  of  eternal  justice, 
trifle  with  the  injunctions  of  morality, 
and  recklessly  destroy  the  political  con- 
stitution which  holds  us  together,  no 
one  can  tell  how  sudden  a  catastrophe 


may  overwhelm  us,  that  shall  bury  all 
our  glory  in  profound  obscurity. 

"Should  that  catastrophe  happen  let 
it  have  no  history.  Let  the  horrible 
narrative  never  be  written.  Let  its 
fate  be  that  of  the  lost  books  of  Livy 
which  no  human  eye  shall  ever  read, 
or  the  missing  Pleiad  of  which  no  man 
can  ever  know  more  than  that  it  is  lost, 
and  lost  forever." 

But  this  catastrophe  must  not  happen 
and  it  will  not  happen  if  we  but  fol- 
low the  directions  that  have  already 
been  given  by  the  greatest  of  all  mili- 
tary authorities.  God  offered  to  save 
Sodom  and  Gomorrah  if  only  ten 
righteous  people  could  be  found  there- 
in, and  God  will  prosper  us  if  we  will 
faithfully  carry  forward  our  doubly 
assignment  of  so  serving  God  and  our 
country  that  many  hundreds  of  mil- 
lions of  truth-seeking,  freedom-loving, 
God-fearing  men  and  women  may  be 
entitled  to  the  everlasting  blessings  of 
our  eternal  Heavenly  Father.  For  this 
I  humbly  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen.  Q 


•  My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  am 
happy  to  participate  with  you  in  the 
wonderful  spirit  of  this  conference  and 
in  the  beautiful  music  and  inspira- 
tional messages  we  have  listened  to.  I 
feel  that  these  messages  are  particularly 
applicable  at  this  time. 

Frequently  we  hear  that  our  nation 
is  at  the  crossroads  of  advancement  or 
fall,  and  this  could  well  be  a  correct 
analysis  of  the  present  situation. 

Many  have  twisted  moral  values  to 
suit  themselves,  have  scoffed  at  in- 
tegrity, and  have  become  victims  of  a 
feverish  tension,  lacking  the  one  thing 
they  want  most — inner  peace.  To  a 
considerable  extent  this  nation  has  be- 


haved like  great  civilizations  of  the 
past  when  they  have  become  self- 
indulgent  and  pleasure  ridden,  just 
before  they  crumbled. 

But  where  do  we  go  from  here?  Do 
we  have  a  new  frontier  or  goal? 

It  seems  to  me  that  we  should  seek 
the  success  of  the  inner  man,  now  that 
our  affluent  society  has  furbished  the 
outer  man  so  extensively. 

We  could  search  for  paths  to  family 
harmony,  more  and  better  relatedness 
to  God  and  our  fellowmen,  and  inner 
ease  instead  of  tension. 

Our  new  frontier  and  goal  might 
well  be  that  of  making  a  rich  and  re- 
warding life. 


Let  me  suggest  that  we  reexamine 
our  standards  of  right  and  wrong  and 
determine  what  standards  are  best  for 
ourselves  and  for  the  common  good  of 
our  fellowmen. 

I  am  convinced  that  neither  science 
nor  philosophy  can  satisfactorily  an- 
swer these  questions  but  that  the  gos- 
pel of  Jesus  Christ  can. 

We  bear  witness  to  the  world  that 
God  the  Father  and  his  Son  Jesus  Christ 
have  appeared  to  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  in  this  dispensation  and  restored 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  its  fullness 
and  that  there  is  a  prophet  of  God  on 
the  earth  today,  our  beloved  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith. 


82 


The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  a  plan 
of  life  and  teaches  that  all  men  are 
children  of  God.  The  gospel  clearly 
sets  out  standards  of  right  and  wrong. 

As  an  example,  in  this  dispensation 
the  Lord  has  counseled,  "Thou  shalt 
not  steal,"  and  "Thou  shalt  not  lie." 
(D&C  42:20-21.) 

These  standards  require  a  person  to 
be  honest  and  truthful  and  respect  the 
property  rights  of  others,  and  are  for 
the  common  good  of  all. 

The  apostle  Paul,  in  facing  a  situa- 
tion somewhat  similar  to  our  time, 
wrote  the  Roman  saints  and  enumer- 
ated several  standards,  saying,  "The 
night  is  far  spent,  the  day  is  at  hand: 
let  us  therefore  cast  off  the  works  of 
darkness  and  let  us  put  on  the  armour 
of  light. 

"Let  us  walk  honestly,  as  in  the  day; 
not  in  rioting  and  drunkenness,  not  in 
chambering  and  wantonness,  not  in 
strife  and  envying."   (Rom.   13:12-13.) 

Many  times  the  apostle  Paul  empha- 
sized the  importance  of  being  honest, 
and  his  life,  in  every  way,  exemplified 
this  great  eternal  principle. 

As  we  incorporate  the  gospel  princi- 
ples or  standards  into  our  lives,  we 
have  the  confidence  and  respect  of  our 
fellowmen,  enjoy  love  and  harmony  in 
our  family  relationships,  and  are 
blessed  with  peace  of  mind.  We  are 
indeed  living  the  good  life. 

The  English  author  Charles  Dickens 
wrote,  "We  wear  the  chains  we  forge 
in  life."  How  true  this  is,  and  how 
important  it  is  to  forge  a  chain  that 
will  bring  a  rich  and  rewarding  life — 
and  remember  that  the  diminutive 
chains  of  habit  are  generally  too  small 
to  be  felt  until  they  are  too  strong  to 
be  broken. 

In  forging  a  strong  chain  of  life,  the 
habit  of  honesty  can  well  become  one 
of  the  brightest  and  strongest  links. 

There  is  great  power  in  centering 
one's  attention  upon  an  ideal  or  prin- 
ciple such  as  honesty.  But  in  the  minds 
of  many  the  real  meaning  of  honesty, 
as  a  moral  value,  has  been  terribly 
twisted. 

Honest  thinking  and  honest  acting 
are  desperately  needed  in  today's 
society. 

The  dictionary  defines  honesty  as 
the  quality  of  being  truthful,  incor- 
ruptible, and  free  from  deceit  and 
fraud. 

In  thinking  of  honesty,  we  may  first 
think  of  our  relations  with  others,  but 
in  many  respects  it  is  more  important 
to  be  honest  with  ourselves. 

In  the  play  Hamlet,  Shakespeare  has 
his  character  Polonius  saying  to  his  son 
Laertes,  "This  above  all:  to  thine  own 
self  be  true,  And  it  must  follow,  as  the 
night  the  day,  Thou  canst  not  then  be 
false  to  any  man."  (Act  1,  sc.  3.) 


When  one  accepts  the  standard  of 
being  honest  with  himself  and  commits 
himself  to  this  end,  he  has  made  a 
tremendous  step  toward  happiness  and 
success. 

Each  of  us  is  endowed  with  the 
right  to  choose  good  or  evil,  and  we 
should  recognize  that  men  do  not  suc- 
ceed, neither  are  they  destroyed  by 
other  people  or  conditions,  but  rather 
by  their  own  decisions. 

Honesty  to  one's  own  self  embraces 
good  health  habits,  good  work  and 
study  habits,  a  determination  to  be 
of  some  useful  service  to  others,  and, 
as  the  apostle  Paul  says,  an  avoidance 
of  rioting,  drunkenness,  chambering, 
wantonness,  strife  and  envying. 

We  recognize  that  our  body  is  the 
temple  of  God  and  that  the  Spirit  of 
God  dwells  in  us,  and  with  such 
knowledge  we  should  do  everything 
possible  to  strengthen  our  bodies.  This 
necessarily  means  the  avoidance  of 
tobacco,  liquor,  tea,  and  coffee,  the  use 
of  drugs  and  anything  that  harms  or 
defiles  the  body. 

Likewise,  good  thoughts  that  assist 
one  to  grow  and  develop  and  to  be  of 
use  and  service  to  his  fellowmen  stimu- 
late mental  and  physical  health, 
whereas  degrading  thoughts  built 
around  obscenity,  immorality,  strife, 
stealing,  cheating,  and  lying  result  in 
ultimate  destruction. 

To  be  honest  with  ourselves,  we  must 
adopt  good  mental  and  physical  health 
habits  as  our  standards;  we  know  that 
good  health  of  body  and  mind  con- 
tribute to  a  rich  and  rewarding  life, 
a  clear  conscience,  and  inner  peace. 

Again,  good  work  and  study  habits 
are  of  major  importance  in  living  a 
rich  and  rewarding  life. 

There  are  some  who  contend  that 
hard  work  isn't  necessary  today  in 
order  to  be  successful  and  happy,  but 
this  is  not  true. 

The  gospel  plan  requires  each  of  us 
to  work  out  our  own  salvation,  our 
happiness,  growth,  and  development. 

Let  me  quote  a  part  of  a  letter  writ- 
ten by  an  anxious  father  to  his  son 
to  emphasize  this  matter: 

"My  son,  remember  you  have  to 
work.  Whether  you  handle  a  pick  or 
wheelbarrow,  or  a  set  of  books,  editing 
a  newspaper  or  writing  a  funny  story, 
you  must  work. 

"Work  gives  you  appetite  for  your 
meals,  it  lends  solidity  to  your  slumber, 
it  gives  you  an  appreciation  of  a 
holiday. 

"There  are  young  men  who  do  not 
work  but  the  country  is  not  proud  of 
them.  It  does  not  even  know  their 
names.  So  find  out  what  you  want  to 
be  and  do.  Take  off  your  coat  and 
make  the  dust  fly.  The  busier  you  are 
the  less  harm  you  are  apt  to  get  into, 


the  sweeter  will  be  your  sleep,  the 
brighter  your  holidays  and  the  better 
satisfied  the  whole  world  will  be  with 
you."  (Bob  Burdette,  in  Leaves  of 
Gold.) 

Good  work  habits  include  such 
qualities  as  dependability,  loyalty  to 
employer,  willingness  to  go  the  extra 
mile,  and  finding  happiness  and  pur- 
pose in  your  work. 

Now,  concerning  good  study  habits, 
let  us  consider  why  we  read  and  study: 
to  be  informed,  to  gain  wisdom  and 
knowledge  that  will  be  of  value  to  us, 
to  grow  and  develop.  Yes,  reading  can 
become  a  most  pleasant  and  profitable 
way  to  regularly  spend  a  portion  of 
our  time. 

The  Lord  has  told  us  that  "the  glory 
of  God  is  intelligence,  or,  in  other 
words,  light  and  truth"  (D&C  93:36), 
and  that  "it  is  impossible  for  a  man  to 
be  saved  in  ignorance"  (D&C  131:6), 
and  "whatever  principle  of  intelligence 
we  attain  unto  in  this  life,  it  will  rise 
with  us  in  the  resurrection. 

"And  if  a  person  gains  more  knowl- 
edge and  intelligence  in  this  life 
through  his  diligence  and  obedience 
than  another,  he  will  have  so  much  the 
advantage  in  the  world  to  come." 
(D&C  130:18-19.) 

Mr.  Alfred  C.  Fuller,  the  founder  of 
the  Fuller  Brush  Company,  had  this 
to  say  about  his  study  of  the  Bible: 
"What  most  impressses  me  as  I  look 
backward,  is  the  immense  application 
I  have  made  of  Bible  truths  in  my 
family  life.  From  lack  of  education,  I 
relied  on  the  Bible  as  my  text  book, 
in  every  conceivable  problem  that 
arose.  Only  when  I  deviated  from  this 
teaching  did  I  fail. 

"He  who  does  not  live  daily  in  its 
guidance  is  foolish  for  he  is  rejecting 
the  greatest  source  of  personal  profit 
that  exists  in  the  world.  The  Bible  is 
the  best  'how-to-do-it'  book  ever  com- 
piled and  it  covers  every  fundamental 
that  anyone  really  needs  to  know." 

Let  us  be  honest  with  ourselves  and 
get  into  the  habit  of  reading  and  study- 
ing, the  Bible  and  the  other  standard 
works  of  the  Church  as  a  guide  to  a 
rich  and  rewarding  life. 

One  of  the  greatest  blessings  the 
Church  affords  its  members  is  an  op- 
portunity for  each  to  serve  his  fellows 
in  many  different  ways.  We  receive 
great  joy,  happiness,  and  individual 
growth  and  development  by  being 
active  in  church  service. 

Let  us  be  honest  with  ourselves  and 
never  turn  down  an  opportunity  to 
serve  in  building  and  serving  the  king- 
dom of  God. 

When  one  is  honest  with  himself, 
he  cannot  be  unfaithful  to  his  family, 
unfair  to  his  employer,  or  disloyal  to 
his  God  and  country. 


Era,  December  1970    83 


We  should  exert  our  best  efforts  to 
accomplish  our  righteous  objectives, 
utilizing  every  legitimate  means  but 
not  permitting  ourselves  to  commit  a 
wrong  in  our  quest  for  the  right.  It  is 
better  to  lose  than  to  win  an  unjust 
or  dishonest  cause. 

What    better,    then,    can    a    person 


learn  than  honesty?  What  better  can 
he  learn  than  to  use  the  principle  of 
honesty  in  doing  his  best?  in  learning 
the  best  things  in  life?  in  reading  the 
best  books?  in  mingling  with  the  best 
people?  in  doing  the  best  things? 

In  so  doing  we  are  seeking  the  suc- 
cess of  the  inner  man  and  will  find 


family  harmony,  more  and  better  re- 
latedness  to  God  and  our  fellowmen, 
and  inner  ease  instead  of  inner  tension. 
Thus  we  will  achieve  our  new  frontier 
and  goal  of  a  rich  and  rewarding  life. 
May  we  commit  ourselves  to  this  end, 
I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  When  the  Savior  walked  the  earth, 
he  chose  twelve  men  and  placed  them 
in  charge  of  his  Church.  These  men 
were  the  Twelve  Apostles.  They  were 
also  designated  especial  witnesses.  They 
testified  that  Jesus  was  the  Christ. 
They  directed  all  the  work  of  the 
Church. 

Luke  tells  us,  in  a  sketchy  account, 
of  another  body  of  men  likewise  called 
to  a  special  calling.  No  doubt  these 
men  were  to  assist  the  Twelve. 

"After  these  things  the  Lord  ap- 
pointed other  seventy  also,  and  sent 
them  two  and  two  before  his  face  into 
every  city  and  place,  whither  he  him- 
self would  come. 

"Therefore  said  he  unto  them,  The 
harvest  truly  is  great,  but  the  labourers 
are  few:  pray  ye  therefore  the  Lord  of 
the  harvest,  that  he  would  send  forth 
labourers  into  his  harvest."  (Luke 
10:1-2.) 

It  is  recorded  later  in  this  same 
chapter: 

"And  the  seventy  returned  again 
with  joy,  saying,  Lord,  even  the  devils 
are  subject  unto  us  through  thy  name." 
(Luke  10:17.) 

During  the  subsequent  apostasy  that 
followed  the  establishment  of  the 
Church,  an  understanding  of  this 
priesthood  office  and  the  duties  of  the 
seventy  was  lost  to  the  world.  Without 
revelation  men  could  know  neither  the 
duties  nor  power  of  the  seventy. 

When   the    gospel   was   restored   in 


our  day,  a  knowledge  of  the  proper 
place  and  function  of  priesthood  offices 
was  revealed.  Apostles  and  prophets 
were  again  placed  at  the  head  of  the 
Church,  with  power  to  administer  all 
the  affairs  of  the  kingdom. 

Two  weeks  after  the  calling  of  the 
Twelve,  another  body  of  men  was 
called  and  organized.  This  body  was 
the  First  Quorum  of  the  Seventy.  Their 
duties,  and  the  duties  of  seventies  in 
general,  were  unfolded  in  revelations 
to  the  modern  prophet.  Several  things 
were  made  clear: 

First,  that  the  presiding  officers  of 
this  quorum  were  constituted  different 
from  those  of  any  other  quorum: 

"And  it  is  according  to  the  vision 
showing  the  order  of  the  Seventy,  that 
they  should  have  seven  presidents  to 
preside  over  them,  chosen  out  of  the 
number  of  the  seventy; 

"And  the  seventh  president  of  these 
presidents  is  to  preside  over  the  six." 
(D&C  107:93-94.) 

Second,  that  these  brethren  were  to 
act  under  the  direction  of  the  Twelve: 

"The  Seventy  are  to  act  in  the  name 
of  the  Lord,  under  the  direction  of  the 
Twelve  or  the  traveling  high  council, 
in  building  up  the  church  and  regu- 
lating all  the  affairs  of  the  same  in  all 
nations,  first  unto  the  Gentiles  and 
then  to  the  Jews."  (D&C  107:34.) 

The  third  thing  made  clear  was  that 
other  seventy  also  were  to  be  called: 

"And  these  seven  presidents  are  to 


choose  other  seventy  besides  the  first 
seventy  to  whom  they  belong,  and  are 
to  preside  over  them; 

"And  also  other  seventy,  until  seven 
times  seventy,  if  the  labor  in  the  vine- 
yard of  necessity  requires  it. 

"And  these  seventy  are  to  be  travel- 
ing ministers,  unto  the  Gentiles  first 
and  also  unto  the  Jews."  (D&C 
107:95-97.) 

Their  special  duties  were  designated: 

"The  Seventy  are  also  called  to 
preach  the  gospel,  and  to  be  especial 
witnesses  unto  the  Gentiles  and  in  all 
the  world — thus  differing  from  other 
officers  in  the  church  in  the  duties  of 
their  calling."  (D&C  107:25.) 

And  so  it  is  today.  The  first  seven 
presidents  of  the  First  Quorum  of  the 
Seventy  act  under  the  direction  of  the 
Twelve.  We  consider  it  an  honor  to 
serve  under  the  inspired  leadership  of 
these  great  men.  We  wholeheartedly 
sustain  the  leadership  they  give  to 
the  great  missionary  program  of  the 
Church,  in  both  the  full-time  and  the 
stake  missionary  work. 

Worldwide  missionary  work  actually 
began  when  the  Savior  introduced  an 
apostolic  dispensation  in  the  meridian 
of  time.  His  commission  to  his  Twelve 
was: 

"Go  ye  therefore,  and  teach  all  na- 
tions, baptizing  them  in  the  name  of 
the  Father,  and  of  the  Son,  and  of  the 
Holy  Ghost: 

"Teaching  them  to  observe  all  things 


84    Era,  December  1970 


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whatsoever    I    have    commanded    you. 
.  .  ."  (Matt.  28:19-20.) 

With  the  restoration  of  the  gospel, 
that  same  commission  was  announced. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  stay  unto  you,  they 
who  believe  not  on  your  words,  and 
are  not  baptized  in  water  in  my  name, 
for  the  remission  of  their  sins,  that 
they  may  receive  the  Holy  Ghost,  shall 
be  damned,  and  shall  not  come  into 
my  Father's  kingdom.  .  .  . 

"And  this  revelation  unto  you,  and 
commandment,  is  in  force  from  this 
very  hour  upon  all  the  world,  and  the 
gospel  is  unto  all  who  have  not  re- 
ceived it. 

"But,  verily  I  say  unto  all  those  to 
whom  the  kingdom  has  been  given — 
from  you  it  must  be  preached  unto 
them.  .  .  ."  (D&C  84:74-76.  Italics 
added.) 

Our  mandate  is  clear.  We  have  a 
divine  commission.  We  have  been 
counseled  by  modern  prophets  that 
every  member  has  a  missionary  obliga- 
tion. Today,  in  the  new  Priesthood 
Missionary  Handbook,  a  program  is 
outlined  that  can  make  that  great  con- 
cept become  a  reality.  The  program 
rests  on  the  members  of  the  priesthood. 
Since  the  seventies  have  a  special  mis- 
sionary calling,  the  Brethren  have 
placed  the  primary  responsibility  upon 
the  seventies  quorums  in  the  Church. 
As  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy, 
we  are  determined  to  accomplish  the 
mission  the  Twelve  have  given  us.  We 
now  call  upon  all  seventies  everywhere 
to  learn  their  duty  and  to  be  anxiously 
engaged  in  doing  it.  We  propose  to 
have  this  great  work  go  forward  in  a 
better,  more  effective  way  than  ever 
before. 

Some  presidents  of  the  seventies  will 


remember  a  meeting  held  in  the  As- 
sembly Hall  in  1965.  At  that  meeting 
President  Harold  B.  Lee  said: 

"The  door  is  opening  for  you  as 
leaders  to  bring  your  seventies  and 
walk  through  that  open  door.  You 
must  see  to  it  that  with  all  the  strength 
you  possess  from  training,  from  an  un- 
derstanding of  the  gospel,  to  support 
the  leadership  of  the  First  Council  of 
the  Seventy,  acting  under  the  direction 
of  the  Twelve  and  the  First  Presidency 
.  .  .  walk  through  that  open  door  and 
demonstrate  now  that  never  again  so 
far  as  you  have  strength  will  you  lose 
your  grasp  upon  the  opportunity  that 
is  now  being  offered  to  you." 

We  have  been  heartened,  brethren, 
by  the  response  which  you  have  given 
to  the  various  projects  which  we  have* 
administered  in  the  past.  In  reality, 
they  have  been  training  exercises  to 
strengthen  us  for  this  great  task  which 
the  Twelve  have  now  laid  upon  our 
shoulders.  I  quote  excerpts  from  the 
new  Priesthood  Missionary  Handbook: 

"Seventies  serve  as  stake  missionaries 
by  virtue  of  their  priesthood  office 
without  being  set  apart.  .  .  ." 

".  .  .  the  stake  mission  presidency  are 
.  .  .  [to]  serve  ...  as  presidents  in  the 
seventies  quorum.  .  .  ." 

".  .  .  Seventies  and  stake  and  full- 
time  missionaries  .  .  .  are  to  coordinate 
with  home  teachers,  under  the  direction 
of  the  bishop  and  quorum  leaders,  .  .  ." 
— thereby  helping  families  to  discharge 
their  missionary  responsibility. 

".  .  .  missionary  work  should  be  done 
on  a  ward  basis." 

"The  seventies  group  leader  .  .  . 
serves  as  the  ward  mission  leader." 

".  .  .  the  ward  mission  leader  should 
conduct  among  the  Seventies  the  pro- 


gram for  finding  families,  and  may  be 
invited  to  train  High  Priests  and 
others  to  assist  in  this  program  and  in 
various  other  ways  of  finding  the  in- 
vestigator." 

As  you  can  see,  the  work  is  to  go 
forward  in  an  orderly  and  systematic 
way. 

The  Regional  Representatives  of  the 
Twelve  will  soon  come  to  stake  leaders 
with  a  full  explanation  of  this  program. 
Stake  mission  presidents  will  be  invited 
to  attend  these  regional  meetings  dur- 
ing the  first  six  months  of  1971. 

This  is  the  decade  of  the  seventies! 

This  is  the  time  to  step  forward,  to 
honor  the  confidence  placed  in  us  by 
the  Twelve.  This  is  the  time  to  mag- 
nify the  priesthood  assignment  given 
to  us  through  revelation  today.  We  are 
confident,  brethren  of  the  seventies, 
that  you  will  accept  and  accomplish 
this  work. 

"Therefore,  let  every  man  stand  in 
his  own  office,  and  labor  in  his  own 
calling;  .  .  .  that  the  system  may  be 
kept  perfect."  (D&C  84:109-110.) 

There  is  reason  for  this  great  empha- 
sis upon  missionary  work  in  the  world 
today.  The  Lord  gave  that  reason  in 
the  eighteenth  section  of  the  Doctrine 
and  Covenants: 

"Remember  the  worth  of  souls  is 
great  in  the  sight  of  God; 

"And  if  it  so  be  that  you  should 
labor  all  your  days  in  crying  repentance 
unto  this  people,  and  bring,  save  it  be 
one  soul  unto  me,  how  great  shall  be 
your  joy  with  him  in  the  kingdom  of 
my  Father!"  (D&C  18:10,  15.) 

Some  may  wonder  how  one  soul 
could  be  worth  the  labor  of  a  lifetime. 
We  live  in  a  world  of  temporal  and 
transitory  things.  Many  fail  to  under- 
stand the  nature  of  man — that  his  soul 
is  eternal!  Man's  soul  is  indeed  worth 
a  lifetime  of  effort  to  save. 

One  other  thing — the  saver  of  souls, 
together  with  him  who  is  saved,  shall 
be  found  in  the  kingdom  of  our  Father. 

To  you  brethren  of  the  Twelve,  we 
of  the  First  Council  pledge  our  greatest 
effort  to  bring  many  souls  into  the 
kingdom.  We  will  move  forward  in 
faith  in  this  ministry  of  sharing  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  We  feel  humble 
as  we  view  the  magnitude  of  the  task 
you  have  assigned  us.  We  nevertheless 
have  courage  and  confidence  that  be- 
cause this  is  the  work  of  the  Lord,  and 
because  you  and  we  are  his  servants, 
there  will  be  a  plenteous  harvest. 

As  for  myself,  I  really  want  to  help 
save  a  soul.  I  would  like  to  have  some 
one  person  stand  in  the  congregation 
of  the  righteous  at  that  great  day  and 
say,  "He  it  was  who  brought  me  into 
the  kingdom." 

In  the'  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  o 


86 


•  I  stand  before  you,  my  beloved  fel- 
low Saints,  in  deep  humility.  As  I 
view  this  vast  audience  of  Church 
leaders  and  many  friends  for  the  first 
time  as  a  General  Authority,  the  feel- 
ings in  my  soul  on  this  day  have  been 
expressed  by  Alfred,  Lord  Tennyson  as 
he  wrote,  "There  are  times  which  are 
too  full  for  sound  or  foam."  Some 
events  and  incidents  happen  in  our 
lives  that  somehow  are  so  overwhelm- 
ing, and  yet  seem  to  be  tied  so  closely 
to  Divine  Power — and  influence — and 
yet  we  feel  so  inadequate  and  un- 
prepared. 

Six  months  ago,  as  President  Tanner 
directed  me  by  the  arm  down  the  long 
corridor  to  the  First  Presidency's  office, 
there  to  look  into  the  faces  of  our  living 
prophet  and  President  Lee.  and  Presi- 
dent Tanner,  I  knew  in  my  soul  that 
I  was  in  the  presence  of  the  Lord's 
anointed.  I  knew  not  what  may  lie 
ahead,  but  one  thing  was  certain:  I 
was  already  committed  in  my  heart  to 
serve  the  Master,  wherever  and  when- 
ever called. 

We  have  been  taught,  and  we  be- 
lieve, that  we  all  are  children  of  God 
and  fellow  citizens  in  the  body  of 
saints.  We  are  sincere  believers,  thus 
enabling  us  to  know  him  better,  to 
trust  him  absolutely,  to  serve  him 
faithfully,  and  to  proclaim  to  all  the 
world,  as  did  Andrew  to  his  brother 
Simon,  'We  have  found  the  Messiah." 
I  know  he  lives,  that  he  is  real,  that  he 
stands  at  the  head  of  this,  his  church, 
the  only  true  church  on  the  face  of 
the  earth. 

These  first  few  weeks  of  my  new 
calling  have  been  most  eventful  with 
deep,  rich  spiritual  experiences.  I  have 


participated  in  some  of  your  stake  con- 
ferences, stayed  in  your  homes,  and 
felt  your  humble  spirit  of  service  and 
true  dedication  to  the  task  of  "strength- 
ening thy  brethren." 

I  have  had  the  privilege  of  going  to 
some  of  the  overseas  missions  and  visit- 
ing individually  with  your  sons  and 
daughters — many  future  leaders  of  this 
church — and  I  have  borne  testimony 
with  them  to  those  out  in  the  world 
who  seem  to  say,  "Is  there  any  word 
from  the  Lord?"  "Where  shall  we 
turn?"  "Is  there  something  true  and 
real  to  believe?"  And  I  have  been  able 
to  proclaim  with  your  sons  and  daugh- 
ters to  them  that  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  has  been  restored  with  all  the 
authority,  keys,  and  blessings  necessary 
for  the  individual  salvation  of  all  who 
will  repent  and  be  baptized  and  keep 
his  commandments. 

The  testimony  of  the  truthfulness 
of  this  work  that  burns  in  my  soul  has 
been  assisted  and  encouraged  in  its 
nurturing  by  the  lives  of  many  people, 
some  of  whom  I  must  humbly  acknowl- 
edge on  this  particular  day.  Someone 
has  compared  our  lives  to  that  of  the 
mighty  Mississippi.  As  it  flows  into  the 
ocean,  it  is  the  end  product  of  many 
sources:  streamlets — some  large,  some 
small — melting  snow  from  the  Rockies, 
and  tiny  springs;  but  they  have  all  had 
an  influence  and  effect.  So  it  has  been 
with  me.  Many  of  those  great  influ- 
ences have  passed  on,  but  many  of 
them  are  here  today. 

It  has  been  said  that  to  develop  good 
thoughts  and  acts,  we  must  live  and 
associate  with  good  people.  The  Lord 
blessed  me  with  my  lovely  companion 
— my,  how  he  blessed  me — one  who 


has  stood  by  my  side  through  trial 
and  joy,  disappointment  and  triumph, 
and  has  contributed  inspiration  and 
strength  to  our  family  as  a  loving  wife, 
mother,  and  counselor.  Our  sons  and 
daughter  and  their  loved  ones  are 
strong,  sturdy,  and  dependable  and 
committed  to  the  building  of  the  king- 
dom of  God  as  a  result  of  her  great 
influence. 

I  can  also  appreciate  and  understand 
Nephi's  acknowledging  good  parents. 
My  own  mother,  left  a  widow  far  too 
early  in  her  life,  never  shirked  her  duty 
to  her  children's  spiritual  training. 
Many  a  lesson  was  taught  me  at  her 
bedside  during  her  long  illness.  Her 
testimony  never  wavered;  I  understood 
and  felt  it  early  in  life. 

My  father  has  always  been  my  ideal. 
Ever  since  I  was  a  small  boy,  I've 
wanted  to  be  like  my  father — to  serve 
people,  to  assist  them  whenever  pos- 
sible, to  be  concerned  and  to  assist  the 
Church  and  community.  My  father,  as 
did  his  father,  responded  to  calls  from 
the  leadership  of  the  Church  and  fol- 
lowed their  direction.  I  hope  and  pray 
that  it  will  ever  be  thus  with  my  pos- 
terity. When  my  father  died,  the  local 
newspaper  editorialized: 

"We  have  lost  our  greatest  and  be- 
loved citizen.  He  was  ever  foremost 
in  every  movement  to  better  the  com- 
munity. As  bishop  of  the  First  Ward, 
he  was  the  very  father  of  it.  His  loss  is 
felt  throughout  the  state  of  Idaho.  .  .  . 
He  was  ever  on  the  side  of  morality 
and  good  government." 

My  grandfather  set  the  tone  for  his 
sons.  Starting  at  age  17  he  made  seven 
trips  across  the  plains,  assisting  immi- 
grant trains  requiring  help.    He  served 


Era,  December  1970    87 


with  Lot  Smith,  scouting  Johnston's 
army  in  the  interest  of  the  Saints.  With 
his  wife  and  family  he  responded  to 
the  request  to  leave  his  green  acres  in 
Farmington  and  help  colonize  and 
organize  a  stake  in  southern  Idaho. 
They  were  a  close-knit  family. 

My  grandmother  was  the  first  coun- 
selor to  Aurelia  Rogers  in  the  original 
Primary  organization.  Her  eight  chil- 
dren helped  swell  the  first  class. 

On  this  day  I  honor  the  memory  of 
some  who  have  helped  mold  my  life 
and  character.  Someone  has  written. 
"No  better  heritage  can  a  father  be- 


queath to  his  children  than  a  good 
name;  nor  is  there  in  a  family  any 
richer  heirloom  than  the  memory  of  a 
noble  ancestor." 

I  prayerfully  and  humbly  request 
the  help  that  only  the  Lord  can  fur- 
nish. Perhaps  I  need  it  to  a  greater 
degree  than  anyone  else,  as  I  embark 
on  this  calling  in  the  ministry.  I  take 
comfort  from  the  Lord's  promise  in 
the  Doctrine  and  Covenants  when  he 
said,  "The  weak  things  of  the  world 
shall  come  forth  and  break  down  the 
mighty  and  strong  ones,  .  .  .  and  all 
this  that  it  might  be  fulfilled,-  .  .  ." 


(D&C  1:19,  18.)  May  my  weaknesses 
be  made  strong  enough  to  fulfill  my 
obligation  and  desire. 

I  pledge  my  love  and  support  to  the 
First  Presidency,  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  and  to  my  other  fellow  asso- 
ciates of  the  General  Authorities;  and 
to  them,  and  to  all  of  you,  I  testify 
that  I  will  labor  diligently  and,  I  hope, 
effectively  in  using  the  talents  that  the 
Lord  has  given  me  to  help  prepare  for 
his  coming  and  to  assist  in  the  building 
and  strengthening  of  his  kingdom  here 
on  earth  now.  In  the  name  of  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen.  O 


We  Are  Going  to  Be 
What  We  Live  Like 


Elder  Richard  L.  Evans 

Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


•  President  Smith;  my  beloved  broth- 
ers and  sisters — all  our  Father's  chil- 
dren everywhere:  These  choice  young 
people  here,  whose  music  we  have 
heard,  bring  to  mind  all  the  unnum- 
bered others  who,  worldwide,  are  look- 
ing for  a  way  of  life.  If  what  follows 
shall  reach  their  hearts  and  yours,  it 
will  be  so  because  of  your  faith  and 
prayers,  and  I  pray  that  it  may  be  so. 

There  comes  to  mind  a  mother  who 
was  concerned  with  what  her  daughter 
was,  or  wasn't,  doing  with  her  talents 
and  opportunities,  and  the  mother  one 
day  shook  her  daughter  impatiently 
and  said:  "I've  given  you  life.  Now  you 
do  something  with  it!" 

We  could  conceive  of  the  Father  of 
us  all  saying  about  the  same:  "I've 
given  you  life.  Now  you  do  something 
with  it!  Now  make  the  most  of  it!  I've 
given  you  time,  intelligence,  the  good 
earth  and  all  it  offers — now  use  it." 

One  of  the  most  wasteful  wastes  in 
the  world  is  the  waste  of  time,  of  op- 
portunity, of  creative  effort,  with  indif- 
ference to  learning,  indifference  to  work 
— the  don't-care,  drop-out,  what's-the- 
use  attitude.   And  one  of  the  steadying 


factors  in  life — one  that  could  reduce 
restlessness,  protest,  and  discontent — 
would  be  for  all  of  us  to  use  in  more 
useful  ways  the  best  of  our  abilities, 
with  some  awareness  that  the  Father  of 
us  all  might  somehow,  sometime  shake 
us  and  say  (which  he  has,  in  more 
ways  than  we  sometimes  seem  to  be 
aware  of ) :  "I  have  given  you  life.  Now 
you  make  the  most  of  it!" 

When  our  Father  sent  our  first  par- 
ents out  from  Eden,  he  pronounced,  as 
I  read  it,  the  principle  of  work:  "In 
the  sweat  of  thy  face  shalt  thou  eat 

bread "  (Gen.  3:19.)   ".  .  .  cursed  is 

the  ground  for  thy  sake,"  he  said. 
(Gen.  3:17.    Italics  added.) 

For  thy  sake.  Work  is  a  principle, 
a  privilege,  a  blessing — not  a  curse — 
but  an  absolute  essential,  a  physical 
and  spiritual  necessity. 

Much  restlessness  and  difficulty  on 
the  part  of  young  people  comes  because 
they  have  often  been  overly  insulated 
from  challenging  and  meaningful  as- 
signments, with  an  overemphasis  on 
leisure  and  on  working  less  and  less. 
Even  if  a  person  has  all  the  wealth 
he  wants,  he  still  needs  to  work  for 


the  sake  of  his  soul — and  the  same  is 
true  of  those  who  have  learned  to  live 
on  very  little.  Work  is  a  physical  and 
spiritual  necessity. 

Anyone,  young  or  old,  would  be  rest- 
less if  he  didn't  have  a  useful  part  in 
helping  to  bring  good  things  about;  a 
rewarding  and  meaningful  work  to  do. 

Some  don't  know  where  things  come 
from  as  well  as  they  once  did.  It's 
so  easy  to  go  to  the  shop  or  the  market 
without  being  aware  of  the  toil  of 
plowing  and  planting,  of  making  and 
producing,  or  what  it  takes  to  bring 
things  about.  Someone  has  to  do 
everything — not  only  the  easy  and 
glamorous  things,  but  every  routine  and 
tedious  task.  Someone  has  to  do  every- 
thing. 

We  need  to  give  our  young  people 
the  economic  facts  of  life — as  well 
as  the  moral  and  spiritual  facts:  what  it 
means  to  produce;  what  it  means 
to  meet  a  payroll;  what  it  means  to  pro- 
vide for  a  family;  what  it  means  to 
save — what  it  means  to  stay  solvent. 
I  think  those  who  provide  productive, 
wholesome  work  for  other  people  are 
in  a  way  heroic.  Thank  God  for  them. 


88    Era,  December  1970 


'  Cut  out 
five  acres 

seclusion 


Located  just  25  minutes  from  downtown  Salt 
Lake,  Hi-Country  Estates  combines  all  the  com- 
forts of  the  country  with  all  the  conveniences  of 
the  city  .  .  .  golf .  .  .  horseback  riding  .  .  .  hunting 
...  all  utilities  .  .  .  controlled  access  .  .  .  and 
many  other  pleasures. 

If  you're  the  kind  of  person  that  would  love  to 
live  in  the  country,  but  your  livelihood  requires 
you  to  live  in  Salt  Lake  City,  Hi-Country  Estates 
is  perfect  for  you.  If  you  don't  live  in  Salt  Lake 
City,  but  you're  looking  to  get  in  on  the  ground 
floor  of  a  great  investment  opportunity,  Hi- 
Country  Estates  is  perfect  for  you,  too. 

And  to  make  sure  it  doesn't  look  like  a  congested 
city  in  a  few  years,  we're  only  selling  it  in  sections 
of  five  acres  or  more,  starting  at  $1250  an  acre 
with  reasonable  terms.  So  if  you're  longing  for 
the  good  old  country  life,  or  just  a  darn  good 
investment,  now's  the  time  to  cut  out. 


"What  About  Thad" 

The  haunting  story  of  a 
lonely  boy  somehow 
overlooked  and  neglect- 
ed by  his  teachers  and 
leaders.  Is  there  a  boy 
like  Thad  in  your  ward? 


I  MP',  f  I; 


0 


"A  Very 

Different 

World" 

A  dedicated  team  of 
doctors,  nurses  and  vol- 
unteers working  to  in- 
sure the  speedy  recovery 
of  their  patients. 


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Order  from  your  nearest  branch  library 


Now  to  touch  a  moment  or  two  on 
some  other  subjects: 

We  have  the  laws  of  life.  We  have 
God-given  standards,  and  we  realize 
the  results  of  the  way  we  live  life — 
and  rationalizing  won't  change  the  out- 
come. Virtue  is  still  virtue.  Evil  is  still 
evil. 

And  I  come  to  you  today  with  a 
simple  assertion  that  God  does  not 
deal  in  theories.  "I  know  this  world  is 
ruled  by  Infinite  Intelligence,"  said 
Thomas  A.  Edison.  "It  required  Infi- 
nite Intelligence  to  create  it  and  it 
requires  Infinite  Intelligence  to  keep  it 
on  its  course.  ...  It  is  mathematical 
in  its  precision." 

The  seasons,  the  sunshine,  the  grow- 
ing of  seeds;  heat  and  cold;  the  life  of 
a  child;  the  harvest  we  have — these  are 
not  theory,  and  the  same  authority  that 
runs  the  universe  on  such  precision 
also  gave  us  commandments  to  keep, 
commandments  that  are  still  in  force. 
And  I  wouldn't  know  anywhere  to  turn 
for  a  purposeful  way  to  live  life,  ex- 
cept the  way  prescribed  by  the  Admin- 
istrator of  heaven  and  earth.  After  all, 
whose  little  wisdom  would  we  turn 
to?  He  has  given  us  no  commandment 
that  is  not  necessary— and  I  witness  to 
you  that  the  spiritual  and  moral  laws 
are  as  much  in  force  as  are  the  physi- 
cal laws,  and  each  person  is  going  to 
he  what  he  lives  like. 

There  is  a  statement  from  William 
James  that  President  McKay  occasion- 
ally used  to  quote:  "Rip  Van  Winkle, 
in  Jefferson's  Play,  excuses  himself  for 
every  fresh  dereliction  by  saying,  T 
won't  count  this  time!'  Well,  he  may 
not  count  it;  and  a  kind  heaven 
may  not  count  it,  but  it  is  being 
counted  nonetheless.  Down  among  his 
nerve  cells  and  fibres,  the  molecules  are 
counting  it,  registering  and  scoring  it 
up  to  be  used  against  him."  (The  Laws 
of  Habits.) 

Since  this  is  so,  thank  God  for  the 
principle  of  repentance — a  principle  he 
gave  us  because  he  knew  we'd  need  it. 
But  our  repentance  must  be  sincere 
and  not  the  kind  that  keeps  repeating 
the  same  foolish,  stupid  mistakes.  We 
must  move  from  weak  or  willful  mis- 
doing to  an  honest,  resolute  repentance, 
if  we  are  to  have  the  peace  and  happi- 
ness of  life. 

Evil  is  raw,  lewd,  bold,  and  un- 
abashed-— and  greedy — but  there  is  no 
gain  in  this  world's  goods  that  is  worth 
compromising  the  life  or  morals  of  one 
young  person.  We  should  never  patron- 
ize evil  in  any  degree,  but  should 
dedicate  ourselves  to  create  a  clean  and 
wholesome  environment  in  our  homes, 
our  communities,  our  country.  In 
many  ways  we  can  have  a  better  moral 
and  physical  environment  if  we  really 
want  it — we  can  have  in  many  ways 


90 


what  we  are  willing  to  uphold,  to 
support,  to  pay  for.  But  we  can't  do  it 
in  indifference.  And  each  one  will 
realize  the  results  of  what  he  does  and 
thinks — the  results  of  how  he  lives  his 
life. 

And  to  you,  beloved  young  people 
everywhere,  to  you  who  are  searching 
for  answers,  you  who  have  made  mis- 
takes, to  you  who  have  been  mistaught 
or  carelessly  or  adversely  influenced: 
Don't  let  pride,  or  wrong  habits,  or 
appetites,  or  stubbornness  get  in  the 
way  of  your  realizing  the  highest  pos- 
sibilities of  life. 

Youth  passes  quickly.  The  waning 
years  come  sooner  than  you  suppose, 
and  then  there  comes  the  leaving  of 
this  life,  and  the  everlasting  future  that 
follows. 

Live  so  as  to  be  at  peace.  Be  clean, 
beloved  young  friends.  Clean  is  one  of 
the  most  wonderful  of  words.  Be  com- 
fortable. No  one  will  ever  be  comfort- 
able without  being  clean.  Life  can  be 
wholesome,  with  inner  peace  and  solid 
hope  as  you  live  the  law,  keep  the 
commandments,  and  humble  your- 
selves before  our  Father. 

Live  so  that  you  can  face  yourself, 
your  Father  in  heaven,  and  all  men 
everywhere. 

Each  one  of  you  is  precious,  priceless. 
Each  one  of  you  is  all  he  has.  Life  is 
all  you  have.  Be  kind,  be  virtuous. 
Respect  and  cherish  parents.  Make 
prayerful  choices.  Love  and  serve  sin- 
cerely. Live  in  dignity  and  honesty  and 
honor.  Respect  facts.  Test  them  by  the 
standards  God  has  given.  Live  by  the 
law,  and  the  gospel  of  our  Lord  and 
Savior  will  lead  you  to  peace  and 
happiness  and  the  highest  possibilities 
of  everlasting  life. 

Remember,  O  remember,  my  beloved 
young  friends,  that  our  Lord  and 
Savior  hasn't  deceived  us.  He  hasn't 
said  that  it  was  a  broad  way,  an  easy 
way,  or  that  it  could  be  reached  by 
indifference  or  indulgence.  He  has  said 
to  us  fairly  and  forthrightly:  "Enter  ye 
in  at  the  strait  gate:  for  wide  is  the 
gate,  and  broad  is  the  way,  that  lead- 
eth  to  destruction,  and  many  there  be 
which  go  in  thereat: 

"Because  strait  is  the  gate,  and  nar- 
row is  the  way,  which  leadeth  unto 
life.  .  .  ."  (Matt.  7:13-14.) 

There  aren't  any  careless,  easy  short- 
cuts that  go  anywhere  that  anyone 
who  knew  what  he  was  doing  would 
really  want  to  go. 

I  leave  you  my  witness  that  God 
lives,  and  that  this  is  his  work,  his 
church,  his  plan  and  purpose  for  his 
children,  restored  for  all  who  will  sin- 
cerely seek,  and  sincerely  accept,  and 
he  will  enter  into  your  lives  as  fully 
as  you  let  him.  And  to  you — to  all  of 
us — to  all  his  children  everywhere,  he 


is  saying:  "I  have  given  you  life.   Now 
make  the  most  of  it!" 

It  takes  a  long  time  to  make  a  beauti- 
ful world.  It  takes  a  long  time  to  build 
a  beautiful  life,  but  the  process  of 
tearing  down  can  quickly  do  much 
damage.  O  my  beloved  young  friends, 
your  Father  in  heaven  doesn't  deal  in 
theory.  What  he  has  said  is  so.  Trust 
him.    Trust  him  who  gave  you  life  to 


tell  you  the  truth.  Whom  else  would 
you  trust?  Where  else  would  you  turn? 

Respect  yourselves.  Respect  others. 
Respect  life.  Respect  law.  Be  faithful. 
Be  fair.  Be  productive.  Live  to  be  clean 
and  comfortable.  Life  is  all  you  have. 
O  make  the  most  of  it  in  cleanliness,  in 
honor  and  honesty.  Don't  run  your 
life  against  the  light. 

"My  message  to  you,"  said  Thomas 


Edison,  in  his  last  public  address — 
"My  message  to  you  is:  Be  courageous! 
I  have  lived  a  long  time.  I  have  seen 
history  repeat  itself  again  and  again. 
...  Be  as  brave  as  your  fathers  before 
you.  Have  faith!   Go  forward!" 

God  bless  you,  and  peace  be  with 
you,  this  day — and  always,  I  pr^y  in 
the  name  of  our  Lord  and  Saviojf  Jesus 
Christ.  Amen.  O 


•  President  Smith  has  asked  me  to 
speak  to  you  briefly.  It  is  always  a 
privilege  to  me  and  an  inspiration  to 
stand  before  the  priesthood  and  speak 
to  them.  It  is  also  a  great  responsi- 
bility. 

President  Smith  has  directed  his 
remarks  almost  entirely  to  the  mem- 
bers of  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  I 
should  like  to  address  mine  to  a  group 
of  the  finest  young  men  in  all  the 
world,  the  holders  of  the  Aaronic  or 
Lesser  Priesthood. 

I  should  like  to  address  my  remarks 
to  my  grandsons.  We  have  in  our 
family  five  sons-in-law  who  hold  the 
Melchizedek  Priesthood,  four  grandsons 
who  hold  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood, 
six  grandsons  who  hold  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  and  eight  grandsons  who 
are  preparing  themselves  to  hold  the 
priesthood.  I  should  like  to  address  my 
remarks  to  them  tonight. 

No  greater  responsibility  can  be  given 
to  a  young  man  than  to  hold  the  priest- 
hood of  God,  which  is  the  power  of 
God  delegated  to  him  to  act  in  his 
name  in  the  office  which  he  holds,  and 
to  prepare  himself  for  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood,  and  to  enjoy  the  blessings 
of  one  who  is  faithful  in  the  priesthood. 

The  Aaronic  Priesthood  is  so  impor- 
tant that  the  Lord  saw  fit  to  send  John 
the  Baptist  to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  to  bestow  it  upon  them,  and 
in  these  words  was  it  done: 


"Upon  you  my  fellow  servants,  in  the 
name  of  Messiah  I  confer  the  Priest- 
hood of  Aaron,  which  holds  the  keys  of 
the  ministering  of  angels,  and  of  the 
gospel  of  repentance,  and  of  baptism  by 
immersion  for  the  remission  of  sins; 
and  this  shall  never  be  taken  again 
from  the  earth,  until  the  sons  of  Levi 
do  offer  again  an  offering  unto  the 
Lord  in  righteousness."  (D&C  13.) 

What  a  tremendous  privilege,  oppor- 
tunity, and  responsibility  to  hold  the 
priesthood!  It  is  just  as  binding  on  us 
as  the  covenant  which  President  Smith 
read  to  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood, 
because  the  covenant  applies  to  both 
priesthoods  to  the  extent  that  we  hold 
those  priesthoods,  and  it  will  determine 
our  status. 

If  we  will  prove  ourselves  as  we 
are  tried  and  tested,  we  will  be  given 
the  opportunity  to  hold  this  Melchize- 
dek Priesthood.  It  is  somewhat  like 
going  from  elementary  school  to 
high  school  and  from  high  school  to 
college;  also  going  from  mortal  life 
to  eternal  life.  We  will  be  blessed 
according  to  the  way  we  live.  And 
may  it  be  said  of  us,  "Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant:  thou 
hast  been  faithful  over  a  few  things,  I 
will  make  thee  ruler  over  many  things: 
enter  thou  into  the  joy  of  thy  lord." 
(Matt.  25:21.) 

How  fortunate  we  are  to  hold  the 
priesthood.    If    you    would    stop    and 


think  today  that  of  every  1,000  young 
men  of  your  age  in  the  world,  one  man 
holds  the  priesthood;  with  this  hall  full 
of  young  men  of  Aaronic  Priesthood  age 
tonight,  there  would  be  only  eight 
holding  the  Aaronic  Priesthood.  What 
a  tremendous  privilege,  opportunity, 
blessing,  and  responsibility. 

How  important  it  is  to  live  to  enjoy 
the  Spirit  and  blessings  of  the  Lord, 
and  the  respect  and  confidence  of  par- 
ents, friends,  and  church  leaders,  and 
the  Lord  himself,  particularly  so  you 
can  look  them  in  the  face  with  a  clear 
conscience,  and  also  yourself  in  the 
mirror,  and  know  that  you  have  been 
living  as  you  should. 

The  Lord,  speaking  of  Satan  when 
he  was  cast  out,  said: 

"And  he  became  Satan,  yea,  even  the 
devil,  the  father  of  all  lies,  to  deceive 
and  to  blind  men,  and  to  lead  them 
captive  at  his  will,  even  as  many  as 
would  not  hearken  unto  my  voice." 
(Moses  4:4.) 

He  tries  to  tempt  every  one  of  us, 
every  one  from  a  deacon  to  Christ  him- 
self. You  remember  how  he  tried  to 
tempt  Christ.  He  chooses  emissaries, 
those  who  follow  him  and  those  who 
are  too  weak  to  do  what  is  right.  These 
emissaries  will  try  to  point  out  the 
weaknesses  in  an  individual,  in  the 
leaders  of  the  Church,  in  the  organiza- 
tions, and  every  place  they  can  find 
any  weakness   at  any  time,  and  they 


Era,  December  1970    91 


will  be  saying,  "Don't  be  a  coward; 
don't  be  a  sissy;  come  on." 

I  should  like  to  say  to  you  young  men 
tonight  that  not  one  young  man  who  is 
living  according  to  the  teachings  of  the 
gospel  and  honoring  his  priesthood 
would  ever  say  that  to  you. 

Thank  the  Lord  that  he  was  strong 
enough  to  say  to  Satan,  "Get  thee  be- 
hind me,  Satan,"  and  I  hope  we  will 
be  able  never  to  be  afraid,  as  one  in 
one  thousand  in  this  world,  to  honor 
our  priesthood.  Those  who  succumb 
to  temptation  are  always  defeated  and 
miserable,  unless  they  repent. 

Vice-President  Spiro  Agnew,  when 
he  was  speaking  to  us  the  other  day 
as  he  visited  with  the  First  Presidency 
of  the  Church,  said  that  one  thing  that 


appealed  to  him  about,  our  youth,  as  he 
was  on  the  BYU  campus,  is  that  they 
are  well  self-disciplined;  and  they 
seemed  to  be  doing  their  own  thing, 
which  was  doing  what  they  should  be 
doing,  and  were  happy  in  doing  it. 

I  would  like  you  young  men  to  know 
that  those  who  are  frustrated,  who  are 
complaining,  who  are  not  living  as 
they  should,  are  not  happy.  They  are 
frustrated.  There  is  no  happiness  in 
wrongdoing.  They  have  their  prob- 
lems, and  they  are  not  trying  to  accom- 
plish. Of  course  I  feel  sorry  for  them 
because  they  do  not  know  as  you  know- 
that  all  of  us  are  spirit  children  of  God. 
They  do  not  know  that  God  really 
lives,  that  Jesus  is  the  Christ;  that 
through  his  birth,  death,  and  resurrec- 


tion we  may  all  be  resurrected;  and 
that  this  life  is  not  the  end  but  just  the 
beginning  of  eternal  life. 

May  we  all  appreciate  this  and  do 
our  best  wherever  we  are  to  live  worthy 
of  it  so  that  we  can  look  into  the  mirror 
and  see  ourselves  and  say,  "Thank  the 
Lord  I  was  strong  enough  to  overcome, 
to  resist."  To  you  who  have  weak- 
ened in  any  way,  who  have  taken  a 
cigarette,  or  anything  of  the  kind,  just 
quit  it  tonight  and  be  happy.  You  will 
be  happy.  The  Lord  will  bless  you. 
People  will  respect  you,  and  you  will 
be  successful,  and  you  will  be  doing 
your  duty  in  helping  to  bring  about  the 
immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man. 

May  we  do  this,  I  humbly  pray,  in 
the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.        O 


•  President  Smith,  President  Lee,  and 
President  Tanner,  it  is  an  anxiety- 
producing  privilege  for  one  to  respond 
to  your  invitation  to  communicate 
with  the  priesthood  about  the  Church 
Educational  System,  but  it  is  proper  to 
give  time  and  attention  to  the  needs 
of  our  youth  engaged  in  education.  We 
have,  for  instance,  12,000  full-time 
missionaries,  who  matter  very  much; 
26,000  men  and  women  in  the  service, 
who  matter  very  much,  also;  but  there 
are  around  200,000  LDS  students  en- 
rolled imhundreds  of  colleges  and  uni- 
versities around  the  world. 

Sixteen  percent,  or  approximately 
32,000,  of  those  200,000  are  enrolled  in 
the  four  post-high  school  institutions  in 
our  own  Church  Educational  System, 
and  this  is  a  very  important  "fold." 
But  there  are  168,000  other  LDS  stu- 
dents, "which  are  not  of  that  fold," 
and  they,  too,  need  to  hear  the  "voice" 
of  the  Master  through  our  institute 
program. 

The  scope  and  variety  of  the  Church 


Educational  System  is  impressive:  in 
addition  to  the  students  already  men- 
tioned, there  are  13,000  LDS  children 
and  youth  in  dozens  of  Church  ele- 
mentary and  secondary  schools  in  Mex- 
ico, Chile,  and  in  the  Pacific;  there  are 
also  over  175,000  students  in  our  insti- 
tutes and  seminaries. 

The  basic  guidelines  for  our  Church 
Educational  System  have  been  well 
laid  down  by  our  Church  leaders  over 
the  years  and  need  not  be  repeated 
here.  A  new  but  basic  document,  how- 
ever, is  the  letter  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency dated  January  30,  1970,  which 
urges  Church  members  to  have  their 
sons  and  daughters  attend  post-high 
school  institutions  of  learning  near 
their  home,  so  that  our  young  can 
benefit  from  the  influence  of  the  home, 
especially  during  their  first  two  years 
of  post-high  school  education.  That 
document  also  urges  leaders  and  par- 
ents to  make  full  use  of  our  seminary 
and  institute  programs  to  supplement 
the  home.   In  addition,  the  letter  indi- 


cates that  the  Presidency,  in  their  wis- 
dom, believe  the  enrollment  at  BYU 
should  not  exceed  25,000.  There  are 
numerous  considerations  which,  I  be- 
lieve, underlie  the  wisdom  of  the  points 
in  that  presidential  letter: 

1.  The  density  of  Church  member- 
ship occurs  in  America  where  states 
have  highly  developed  and  accessible 
public  post-high  school  systems  of  edu- 
cation. 

2.  Members  of  the  Church  are  tax- 
payers to  local,  state,  and  federal 
governments  in  America  and  their 
equivalents  in  Canada,  and  are  fully 
entitled  to  send  their  sons  and  daugh- 
ters to  tax-supported  institutions.  The 
influence  of  Church  members  (whether 
as  students  or  taxpayers)  on  our  public 
institutions  is  needed  now — more  than 
ever. 

3.  The  increased  effectiveness  of 
correlated  Church  priesthood  programs, 
such  as  home  teaching,  family  home 
evenings,  of  student  stakes  and  wards, 
MIA,  and  the  Student  Associations  now 


92 


permits  the  priesthood  leaders,  in  some 
instances,  to  cross^-the  traditional  geo- 
graphical boundaries  governing  some 
Church  programs,  in  order  to  support 
and  to  involve  the  young  members  of 
the  Church. 

4.  Those  of  us  who  live  in  areas 
where  there  are  highly  developed  pub- 
lic systems  of  post-high  school  edu- 
cation, in  the  spirit  of  brotherhood, 
should  defer  to  the  needs  of  our 
brothers  and  sisters  in  other  lands 
where,  often,  even  an  elementary  edu- 
cation is  not  possible  unless  the  Church 
assists  in  the  process. 

One  of  the  great  challenges  the 
priesthood  faces  in  our  time  is  the  inter- 
nationalization of  the  Church.  This  is 
not  an  American  church — it  is  the 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ,  who  is  the 
God  of  all  people  on  this  planet,  and 
we  must,  as  the  scriptures  urge,  be  as 
independent  as  possible  so  that  the 
kingdom  is  not  too  much  at  the  mercy 
of  men  and  circumstances,  or  the  tides 
of  nationalism,  or  the  mercurial  moods 
abroad  about  America. 

We  have,  for  instance,  more  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  now  in  Brazil  than 
in  all  of  the  Scandinavian  countries 
combined,  plus  Holland.  We  have  as 
many  members  in  Uruguay  as  in  the 
state  of  New  York,  where  the  Church 
was  founded.  We  have  as  many  in 
Peru  as  we  do  in  Missouri,  where  so 
much  Church  history  was  made.  We 
have  as  many  in  Tonga  and  Samoa 
combined  as  in  Nevada,  and  more  in 
these  two  island  clusters  than  in  the 
state  of  Wyoming.  We  have  more  in 
French  Polynesia  than  in  Switzerland, 
and  more  in  the  Philippine  Islands 
than  Nebraska,  through  which  our  pio- 
neer caravans  passed.  We  have  more 
in  Honduras  than  in  Norway. 

These  comparisons  are  sobering  and 
challenging  not  only  for  the  Church 
Educational  System,  but  for  the  entire 
Church.  Thus,  the  transculturalization 
of  curricular  materials  (which  is  more 
than  translation)  represents  one  of  our 
greatest  challenges.  The  scriptures  urge 
the  Church  to  speak  to  men  "after  the 
manner  of  their  language,"  taking  their 
various  weaknesses  into  account  that 
all  "might  come  to  understanding." 
(D&C  1:24.) 

We  want  our  Church  Educational 
System  to  respond  as  much  as  we  can 
to  the  special  conditions  in  which  our 
members  live.  Our  seminary  home 
study  program,  for  instance,  was  or- 
ganized especially  for  the  benefit  of 
young  members  who  are  isolated  from 
their  Church  counterparts,  and  the 
response  of  over  7,000  to  this  program 
has  been  excellent! 

There  are  several  specific  things 
priesthood  leaders  and  parents  can  do. 

First,  priesthood  leaders  need  much 


closer  identification  with  our  institute 
and  seminary  programs  (through  the 
Regional  Representatives  of  the  Twelve 
and  stake  presidents)  so  that  two-way 
communication  can  exist  concerning 
the  needs  of  the  young,  the  quality  of 
teaching  they  receive,  and,  importantly, 
the  need  for  priesthood  support  in  re- 


cruiting top-flight  men  for  careers  in 
our  diverse  Church  Educational  Sys- 
tem; men,  some  of  whom  we  now 
have,  such  as  the  spartan  seminary 
teachers  who  live  with  their  families 
in  small  trailers  on  remote  reservations 
in  heat,  wind,  sand,  in  places  with 
names  like  Many  Farms,  Arizona,  or  in 


The 
Spoken  Word 


"The  Spoken  Word"  from  Tem- 
ple Square,  presented  over  KSL 
and  the  Columbia  Broadcasting 
System    October   4,   1970.  ©1970. 


//.  .  .  and  give  me  yesterday" 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

Some  three  centuries  ago  Thomas  Browne  said:  "There  is  another 
roan  within  me  that's  angry  with  me."'  This  is  descriptive  of  the  un- 
easiness of  those  who  fail  to  find  peace  inside  themselves.  Peace  of 
mind  is  so  earnestly  wished  for,  sometimes  desperately  so.  And  what  is 
it  within  us  that  is  angry  with  us?  The  cause  is  variable,  of  course,  but 
in  some  way  or  other  it  would  generally  be  running  against  the  light 
of  life:  failing  to  live  as  we  know;  disharmony  with  others,  sometimes 
with  ourselves;  failing  to  have  a  quiet  conscience,  sometimes  from  not 
doing  what  we  should  and  could  be  doing— and  sometimes  deliberately 
misdoing.  This  brings  to  mind  a  sentence  of  Elbert  Hubbard,  who  said, 
"Men  are  punished  by  their  sins,  and  not  for  them."2  This  is  a  universe 
of  law  and  order.  Nature  observes  law.  The  spheres  and  planets  move 
majestically  in  their  times  and  seasons.  If  we  want  specific  results  in 
the  physical  world,  we  have  to  observe  law,  as  scientists,  engineers, 
and  the  makers  and  builders  of  things  have  long  since  learned.  And  why 
should  man,  physically,  spiritually,  mentally,  morally  so  complex  and 
sensitive,  feel  that  he  can  run  against  law  and  still  have  the  best  of  life. 
It  simply  isn't  so.  When  we  abuse  ourselves  physically,  when  we  do  that 
which  damages  the  sensitive  mental  and  spiritual  and  moral  mechanism, 
we  pay  a  price,  although  sometimes  the  full  price  isn't  immediately 
apparent— and  the  tragedy  is  that  the  price  we  pay.  is  beyond  anything 
we  can  calculate.  We  remember  the  words  of  the  person  who  pleaded: 
"O  God!  Put  back  Thy  universe  and  give  me  yesterday."3  But  we  can't 
go  back  to  yesterday.  Life  moves  only  one  way.  We  can  repent,  we  can 
improve,  we  can  do  our  best  to  make  amends,  and  we  can  find  peace  in 
wholesome,  righteous  purpose.  But  until  we  change  wrong  ways,  sin- 
cerely so,  in  absolute  honesty,  there  is  something  angry  in  us— and 
that  isn't  a  very  happy  way  to  live  life.  "O  God!  Put  back  Thy  universe 
and  give  me  yesterday."  That  isn't  the  way  life  runs.  But  we  can  live  to 
have    peace    of    mind,    without    any    angry    man    inside    ourselves. 


'Thomas  Browne,  Religio  Medici,  II,  1642. 
2Elbert  Hubbard,  The  Philistine,  vol.  xi,  p.  7. 
'Henry  Arthur  Jones,  Silver  King. 


Era,  December  1970    93 


blizzard  country  like  Pine  Ridge,  South 
Dakota,  in  order  to  serve  and  to  teach 
hundreds  of  the  children  of  Father 
Lehi.  One  expression  of  appreciation 
from  an  Indian  boy  included  these 
moving  words:  "Before  I  took  LDS 
seminary  I  didn't  have  very  much  to 
live  for.  ...  I  had  always  felt  that 
Indians  could  not  do  things  as  well  as 
white  people.  Now  I  know  that  I  am 
a  child  of  God.  I  know  that  my  people 
are  of  the  house  of  Israel.  .  .  .  The 
Church  has  given  me  a  reason  and 
purpose  for  living.    There  is  more  to 


Where  our  young  are  committed 
enough,  and  fortunate  enough,  to  be 
able  to  take  institute  classes  and  persist 
through  graduation,  their  rate  of  tem- 
ple marriage  is  95  percent,  which  is 
a  higher  percentage  than  for  our  re- 
turned missionaries.  Of  course,  the 
mere  act  of  attending  an  institute  rep- 
resents self-selection,  just  as  attending 
a  Church  school  involves  some  self- 
selection.  But  if  we  are  trying  to 
identify  paths  that  our  youth  can  pur- 
sue that  will  give  them  a  better  chance 
of  succeeding  spiritually,  attendance  at 


President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  and  President  Harold  B.  Lee,  right,   meet  a  conference 
visitor,  the  Most  Reverend  Eugenios  Psalidakis,  Archbishop  of  Crete,  left. 


living  now  than  just  worrying  about 
what  I  will  have  to  eat  or  what  I  will 
wear." 

Elsewhere,  in  hundreds  of  homes  and 
chapels  every  weekday,  early-morning 
seminary  students  and  teachers  rub 
sleep  from  eyes  that  often  shine  an 
hour  later  with  appreciation. 

Thousand  of  miles  away  in  lush, 
tropical  islands,  our  young  members 
learn  to  read  and  write,  and  elsewhere 
many  of  our  Mexican  brothers  and 
sisters  are  rapidly  preparing  themselves 
as  schoolteachers  to  instruct  their  own. 

Truly,  careers  in  the  Church  Educa- 
tional System  offer  full  scope  for  all 
the  idealism  of  the  world,  but  com- 
panied  with  the  saving  gospel  message. 

Seminary  and  institute  classrooms 
represent  some  of  the  golden  teaching 
moments  for  our  youth  in  preparing 
them  for  crowning  gospel   ordinances. 


seminaries  and  institutes  is  clearly  a 
major  tributary  to  the  stream  of 
spirituality. 

A  second  matter  that  priesthood  lead- 
ers and  parents  should  consider  is  the 
need  to  counsel  all  of  our  young  more 
consistently  and  helpfully  about  the 
planning  of  their  vocations  and  careers. 
This  will  be  a  continuing  task;  it  is  not 
something  we  can  talk  about  once  in  a 
stake  priesthood  meeting  and  forget. 
One  of  the  basic  reasons  for  the  pur- 
suit of  education  is  to  equip  oneself 
with  marketable  skills.  The  less  ad- 
vantaged national  economies  within 
which  many  of  our  members  outside 
America  live,  and  the  shifting  prospects 
with  regard  to  where  the  career  and 
job  opportunities  will  be  even  in 
America — both  suggest  that  some  addi- 
tional emphasis  is  needed  in  the  direc- 
tion of  technical  education,  which  bears 


on  a  middle  group  of  skills.  For  some 
of  our  young,  earning  power,  job  oppor- 
tunities, and  satisfaction  will  be  greater 
if  they  pursue  the  path  of  technical 
education  in  their  post-high  school 
years,  including  paramedical  careers. 
Professional  education  in  medicine, 
law,  nursing,  etc.,  is  going  to  be  needed 
even  more  than  ever,  but  all  of  our 
youth  need  not  be  neurosurgeons,  and 
the  youth  who  becomes  a  craftsman 
should  feel  just  as  "approved"  as  his 
friend  who  is  a  microbiologist.  Parents, 
bishops,  and  educational  counselors 
will  do  well  to  approach  career  coun- 
seling, bearing  in  mind  that  the  selec- 
tion of  a  career  is  usually  a  matter  of 
preference  and  not  principle. 

A  third  suggestion:  Education,  when 
joined  with  service  to  others  (for  learn- 
ing loses  its  moral  authority  unless  it 
reaches  out)  is  clearly  related  to  the 
development  of  deserved  self-esteem, 
which  controls  our  capacity  to  love 
God,  to  love  others,  and  to  love  life. 

We  can  pursue  learning  without 
fear,  for  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in- 
corporates all  truth,  but  it  distinguishes 
between  mere  fact  and  saving  truths. 
We  can  be  patient  with  the  imponder- 
ables, especially  in  view  of  the  rele- 
vancy of  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  to 
the  social  and  political  problems  of  our 
time,  but  we  must  do  much  more  to 
help  our  young  to  see  the  preventive 
and  prescriptive  powers  of  the  gospel 
for  those  very  problems  about  which 
our  young  are  rightfully  concerned.  For 
the  gospel  tells  us  that  we  have  a  real 
brotherhood  that  will  last  beyond  the 
grave:  it  is  not  merely  a  biological 
brotherhood. 

The  gospel  tells  us  that  unchastity 
can  cause  inner  spiritual  "concus- 
sions" and  "bleeding."  Jacob  described 
people  in  a  time  of  gross  unchastity 
as  being  in  a  circumstance  in  which 
"many  hearts  died,  pierced  with  deep 
wounds."  (Jac.  2:35.)  The  gospel  is 
relevant  in  its  preachment  of  love  at 
home,  which  is  a  solution  to  many 
problems  ranging  from  aid  to  de- 
pendent children  to  alienation.  And 
orthodoxy  is  vital  because  it  increases 
human  happiness,  whether  in  prevent- 
ing the  misery  that  grows  out  of  alco- 
holism or  in  treating  the  guilt. 

A  fourth  observation:  We  will  also 
do  our  young'  a  great  favor  if  our  ef- 
forts to  teach  the  gospel  to  them  in- 
clude not  only  teaching  by  exhortation 
and  explanation,  which  are  vital,  but 
also  by  the  eloquence  of  example  and 
the  confirmation  of  experience,  for  the 
latter  two  methods  weigh  very  heavily 
on  the  scales  of  today's  youth. 

Fifth:  The  home  will  always  be  our 
most  vital  teaching  institution.  When 
the  home  fails,  it  will  be  difficult  for 
the  other  institutions  of  any  culture  or 


94 


society — political,  economic,  and  even 
educational — to  compensate  for  the 
failures  in  the  home.  If  we  poison  the 
headwaters  of  humanity — the  home — it 
is  exceedingly  difficult  to  depollute 
downstream.  If  we  wish  to  make  our 
efforts  count  in  meeting  the  vexing 
^challenges  of  our  time,  the  ecology  of 
effectiveness  suggests  of  the  home  that 
'truly,  "This  is  the  place!" 

Within  the  basic  correlation  con- 
cepts, which  stress  the  primacy  of 
priesthood  and  home,  I  see  a  new 
spirit  of  cooperation  moving  in  the 
Church.  Those  charged  with  programs 
that  support  the  home — Elder  Marion 
D.  Hanks,  who  manages  the  Student 
Association;  Elder  Marvin  J.  Ashton, 
who  manages  Social  Services;  Brother 
James  Mason,  Commissioner  of  Health 
Services;  and  the  staff  of  the  Church 
Educational   System — -are   approaching 


common,  overlapping  problems  in  the 
spirit  of  serving  Church  members, 
rather  than  letting  organizational  lines 
hecome  immovable,  bureaucratic  walls, 
for,  especially  in  saving  souls,  "some- 
thing there  is  that  doesn't  love  a  wall." 
(Robert  Frpst.) 

Finally,  let  us  assure  our  young  that 
the  cadence  of  the  divine  commitment 
to  education  and  the  quest  for  truth 
echo,  like  a  drum  roll,  through  the 
corridors  of  dispensational  history — 
Abraham,  a  man  of  God  and  a  brilliant 
astronomer,  who  pondered  the  planets 
and  considered  the  cosmos  in  the  lone- 
liness of  the  desert;  Jesus,  the  Master, 
who  while  yet  a  youth  taught  his 
elders  in  the  seat  of  learning,  having 
prepared  himself  intellectually  and 
spiritually;  Joseph  Smith's  School  of 
the  Prophets,  where  the  enthusiasm  for 
education    overrode    the    discouraging 


circumstances  of  the  moment;  the 
schools  and  university  that  were  started 
in  this  valley  so  soon  after  the  wheels 
on  pioneer  wagons  and  handcarts  had 
ceased  turning. 

Those  who  possess  absolute  truths 
need  fear  no  ancillary  truth  but  should 
pursue  learning  vigorously,  since  learn- 
ing is  good  so  long  as  we  "hearken  unto 
the  counsels  of  God."  When  education 
is  thus  pursued  by  our  young  today, 
they  should  be  assured  by  all  of  us 
that  they  are  "about"  their  "Father's 
business,"  and  be  witnessed  to;  that 
when  man  has  reached  the  small 
"periphery  of  the  spider  web  of  his 
own  reason  and  logic,"  he  will  find 
the  ropes  of  revelation  on  which  he 
can  climb  upward,  forever!  May  we 
help  our  youth,  I  pray  in  the  name  of 
the  Master  Teacher,  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  My  dear  brethren  of  the  priesthood, 
I  feel  great  strength  in  your  presence, 
and  I  am  grateful  to  my  Heavenly 
Father  for  the  great  discourse  of  our 
prophet,  President  Joseph  Fielding 
Smith. 

One  of  the  great  bits  of  advice  that 
I  have  received  in  my  life  came  during 
my  teenage  years  when  a  great  bishop, 
just  before  the  President  of  the  Church 
was  going  to  visit  our  area,  told  a 
group  of  us  "when  a  prophet  of  God 
speaks,  you  listen  well."  I  have  tried 
to  do  that  all  of  my  life.  I  am  grateful 
for  that  advice. 

I  have  been  thrilled  with  the  meet- 
ings of  this  conference,  especially  this 
morning  when  I  realized  that  that  ses- 
sion was  going  to  be  telecast  through- 
out the  Midwest  and  the  eastern 
states.  And  my  prayer  tonight  when  I 
retire  will  be  "Heavenly  Father,  in  that 
potential  audience  of  millions,  I  pray 


that  many  will  be  led  to  their  television 
sets  to  hear  what  I  heard  this  morn- 
ing." I  know  that  many  will  be  led 
to  the  truth  as  they  so  do. 

Speaking  of  television,  last  Monday 
night  my  high-school-age  son  per- 
suaded me  to  sit  down  and  watch  the 
second  half  of  a  football  game.  I  have 
always  made  it  a  policy  that  no  sacri- 
fice is  too  great  for  my  boy.  So  we  sat 
down  and  watched  football.  While 
watching  this  game,  some  facts  became 
very  apparent.  In  fact,  it  had  gospel 
application  and  priesthood  application. 

I  noticed,  for  example,  that  there 
were  no  shortcuts  to  the  goal  line.  It 
was  a  hundred  yards  in  both  directions. 
I  also  noticed  that  the  team  that 
seemed  to  have  had  the  most  practice, 
that  did  the  best  planning,  that  exe- 
cuted their  plays  the  best,  and  that 
had  the  best  team  attitude  was  the 
team  that  made  the  most  points. 


I  also  noticed  that  when  team  mem- 
bers cooperated  and  helped  one  an- 
other, the  team  made  the  most  yardage. 

It  was  also  obvious  that  when  some- 
one broke  the  rules,  there  was  always 
a  penalty  imposed.  It  sounds  a  lot 
like  life,  doesn't  it?  In  talking  about 
this  to  my  boy,  he  said,  "Fifteen  yards 
is  nothing;  but,  Dad,  when  you  ground 
me  for  three  days,  that  is  too  much." 

We  also  noticed  that  no  one  was 
allowed  to  make  up  his  own  rules  as 
the  game  progressed.  They  all  lost 
their  free  agency  to  do  that  when  they 
agreed  to  join  the  team  and  play  ac- 
cording to  the  established  rules. 

And  last  but  not  least,  I  noticed 
when  it  was  all  over,  the  winning  team 
was  a  lot  happier  than  the  team  that 
lost. 

Now  brethren,  we  believe  that  "men 
are,  that  they  might  have  joy";  and 
joy  can  best  come  as  we  obtain  victory 


Era,  December  1970    95 


in  the  game  of  life,  played  according 
to  the  only  acceptable  rules — those  set 
down  by  our  Heavenly  Father. 

Speaking  of  happiness,  achieving  vic- 
tory, and  finding  the  right  tools  for 
reentering  the  presence  of  our  Heav- 
enly Father,  may  I  use  as  a  springboard 
for  my  remarks  four  or  five  of  the 
most  frequently  asked  questions  and 
comments  from  youth  as  they  come  to 
members  of  the  Presiding  Bishopric. 

Comment  No.  1  from  a  deacon 
right  here  in  Salt  Lake  City:  "This  new 
achievement  program  is  OK,  but  why 
not  let  us  do  our  own  thing  about 
church?  Some  of  us  don't  like  to  be 
tied  down  to  specific  goals  and  com- 
mitments." 

May  I  say.  first  of  all,  you  young 
men  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  are  not 
ordinary  young  men.  Each  of  you  has 
made  a  sacred  covenant  in  the  waters 
of  baptism.  Each  of  you  has  been  given 
that  rare  privilege  of  the  Holy  Ghost 
as  a  constant  companion.  Each  of  you 
has  received  the  sacred  covenant  of  his 
holy  priesthood  about  which  President 
Smith  spoke  so  eloquently  here  to- 
night. Each  of  you  has  access  to  the 
truth.  Yes,  each  of  you  is  a  member 
of  the  world's  greatest  brotherhood,  the 
priesthood,  with  God  the  Father  and 
his  Son  Jesus  Christ  at  the  head. 

With  all  of  these  advantages,  what 
are  we  going  to  do  about  it?  The  scrip- 
tures tell  us  that  where  much  is  given, 
much  is  expected.  Sometimes  an  eternal 


goal  can  seem  rather  remote  in  the 
mind  of  a  teenage  boy.  To  travel  from 
where  you  are  to  where  you  would  like, 
to  be  seems  overwhelming  and  almost 
impossible.  The  secret  is  to  live  the 
best  you  know  how  just  one  day  at  a 
time,  and  if  the  day  seems  too  long, 
we  should  break  it  down  into  hours  or 
even  minutes.   This  is  exactly  what  a 


kind  and  loving  Heavenly  Father  had 
in  mind  as  he  planted  in  the  minds 
of  the  brethren  the  new  personal 
achievement  program  for  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood. 

Each  of  you  is  now  being  introduced 
to  an  achievement  journal  that,  in  my 
opinion,  is  one  of  the  greatest  tools  ever 
developed  to  prepare  a  young  man  for 
the  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  The 
Aaronic  Priesthood  is  a  preparatory 
priesthood,  preparatory  for  only  one 
thing,  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood.  It 
is  the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  that  will 
show  us  the  way  to  temple  blessings 
and  to  other  great  horizons  that  are  not 
visible  nor  understood  by  many  who 
are  starting  out. 

No  longer  will  the  bishop  spend  two 
or  three  minutes  asking  a  few  routine 
questions  pertaining  to  personal  worthi- 
ness. Each  of  you  young  men  will  have 
as  much  time  as  may  be  required  with 
the  bishop  to  talk  just  about  you  and 
about  your  personal  problems,  about 
your  hopes  and  about  your  ambitions, 
and  about  your  goals  for  the  coming- 
year.  All  this  is  made  possible  by 
starting  your  achievement  year  on  or 
near  your  birthday.  By  this  process, 
not  more  than  one  or  two  young  men 
a  week  will  be  on  the  bishop's  agenda, 
thus  giving  ample  opportunity  and  time 
to  get  to  know  one  another  better  and 
to  set  goals  for  the  next  year  that  will 
be  meaningful.  Your  goals  will  per- 
haps be  unlike  any  other  set  of  goals 
in  the  entire  Church.  They  will  be 
customized  just  for  you  according  to 
your  needs,  not  just  on  meeting  at- 
tendance alone  but  other  Church- 
related  goals  such  as  mission  prepara- 
tion, missionary  activity,  seminary  and 
institute  training,  perhaps  even  welfare 
and  genealogical  work  in  terms  of  your 
interest  and  understanding. 

There  will  be  personal  goals  that 
might  well  touch  on  your  day-to-day 
and  week-to-week  planning,  your  fi- 
nancial program  (such  as  it  might  be), 
personal  prayer  habits,  a  program  for 
keeping  your  body  well  and  strong, 
plus  other  ideas  for  self-improvement, 
including  goals  on  being  a  better 
neighbor,  a  better  member  of  your 
community;  yes,  even  some  academic 
or  vocational  goals. 

Let's  hear  another  question.  A  priest 
in  Idaho  wants  to  know,  "What  does 
the  length  of  my  hair  have  to  do  with 
passing  or  blessing  the  sacrament?" 
Lately,  this  has  been  the  most  popular 
question. 

For  good  reason,  the  First  Presidency 
have  not  stipulated  the  number  of 
inches.  I  would  feel  bad  if  the  good 
Navajo  brother  could  not  administer  at 
the  sacrament  table  because  his  hair  is 
long  enough  to  be  braided.  Long  hair 
is  the  custom  of  his  people.   He  is  not 


out  of  place  where  he  serves. 

Would  you  young  men  here  tonight 
believe  skirts  as  a  dress  standard  for 
deacons?  I  have  seen  them  in  Samoa 
as  our  young  men  pass  the  sacrament. 
The  accepted  attire  of  their  com- 
munity is  the  lavalava.  I  am  sure  our 
Samoan  brethren  hope  we  never  have 
a  rule  against  deacons'  wearing  skirts. 

Our  objective  should  be  grooming 
appropriate  to  the  area,  and  in  all  cases 
cleanliness. 

Anything  that  symbolizes  either  re- 
bellion or  nonconformity  to  the  local 
community  standard  will  likely  be  a 
distraction  to  those  partaking  of  the 
Lord's  Supper.  Conservative  dress  and 
manner  have  always  been  the  keynote 
of  priesthood  service.  If  there  is  a 
probability  that  the  members  you  serve 
are  thinking  more  about  your  non- 
standard appearance  than  about  the 
atoning  sacrifice  of  the  Savior,  then 
you  had  better  take  a  long,  hard  look 
at  yourself  before  next  Sunday.  As  we 
consider  these  matters,  I  speak  not  only 
to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood  but  also  to 
those  who  preside  in  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood. 

Here  is  an  interesting  comment  from 
a  priest:  "If  I  could  just  know  for 
sure — by  some  special  manifestation — 
then  I  would  devote  my  life  to  the 
work." 

A  miracle  in  the  heavens  tonight 
could  be  simply  performed  by  our 
Heavenly  Father,  who  created  heaven 
and  earth,  but  I  am  grateful  that  such 
is  not  part  of  his  plan.  Firm  and  last- 
ing testimonies  are  not  created  in  such 
a  manner.  As  the  Lord  has  said,  ".  .  . 
line  upon  line,  precept  upon  precept. 
.  .  ."  (D&C  98:12.)  He  further  stated: 
"My  doctrine  is  not  mine,  but  his  that 
sent  me.  If  any  man  will  do  his  will, 
he  shall  know  of  the  doctrine,  whether 
it  be  of  God,  or  whether  I  speak  of 
myself."   (John  7:16-17.) 

Many  of  us  had  similar  thoughts  as 
we  became  impatient  along  the  way, 
particularly  during  our  teenage  years. 
Even  President  David  O.  McKay  has 
told  us  about  kneeling  by  a  service- 
berry  bush  as  a  boy  in  Huntsville  to 
find  out  once  and  for  all  about  the 
truth  of  the  work.  May  I  quote  Presi- 
dent McKay  as  he  tells  of  that  occa- 
sion: 

"I  knelt  down  and  with  all  the  fervor 
of  my  heart  poured  out  my  soul  to 
God  and  asked  him  for  a  testimony  of 
this  gospel.  I  had  in  mind  that  there 
would  be  some  manifestation;  that  I 
should  receive  some  transformation  that 
would  leave  me  absolutely  without 
doubt. 

"I  got  up,  mounted  my  horse,  and 
as  he  started  over  the  trail,  I  remember 
rather  introspectively  searching  myself 
and   involuntarily   shaking  my  head, 


96 


saying  to  myself,  'No,  sir,  there  is  no 
change;  I  am  just  the  same  hoy  I  was 
hefore  I  knelt  down.'  The  anticipated 
manifestation  had  not  come.  .  .  . 

"However,  it  did  come,  hut  not  in 
the  way  I  had  anticipated.  Even  the 
manifestation  of  God's  power  and  the 
presence  of  his  angels  came;  but  when 
it  did  come,  it  was  simply  a  confirma- 
tion, it  was  not  a  testimony."  (Treas- 
ures of  Life,  [Deseret  Book  Company. 
1962],  pp.  229-30.) 

Young  men,  you,  too,  will  have  many 
remarkahle  revelations  and  manifesta- 
tions as  a  confirmation  of  the  testimony 
that  you  earn. 

Do  you  have  this  problem,  young 
men?  This  is  a  problem  stated  by  a 
young  man  who  contemplates  military 
call-up.  This  is  what  he  says:  "Didn't 
the  Savior  teach  peace?  To  me,  peace 
means  no  fighting.  I  am  not  sure  about 
our  present  military  involvements."  I 
say  to  this  young  man,  the  following 
facts  helped  me  and  they  may  he 
helpful  to  you: 

Where  the  Book  of  Mormon  talks 
about  a  land  choice  above  all  others, 
I  believe  it. 

When  we  are  taught  that  our  found- 
ing forefathers  prayed  for  and  received 
inspiration  as  they  framed  our  Con- 
stitution, I  believe  it. 

When  a  prophet  suggests  that  the 
gospel  could  best  be  restored  in  a  land 
of  freedom  and  democracy,  I  believe  it. 


When  the  standard  works  of  the 
Church  instruct  me  about  obeying, 
honoring,  and  sustaining  the  law,  I 
want  to  do  it.  I  even  believe  that  our 
elected  national  leaders  are  basically 
honest  men  and  base  their  decisions 
upon  what  they  believe  to  be  for  the 
good  of  the  people  as  they  see  it. 

Last  but  not  least,  I  also  believe  that 
a  prophet  of  God  will  let  me  know 
about  any  change  of  policy  in  the 
foregoing  line  of  reasoning.  Young 
men,  to  whatever  country  your  citizen- 
ship commitment  might  be,  you  honor 
it,  you  obey  it,  you  sustain  it.  To  do 
otherwise  would  be  contrary  to  law 
and  order;  and  law  and  order  is  the 
basis  of  the  priesthood,  wherever  it  is 
established. 

Just  one  more:  Some  young  people 
feel  the  same  as  this  member  of  a 
teachers  quorum  from  California.  "We 
like  what  our  ward  and  stake  leaders 
teach  us.  The  gospel  plan  is  perfect, 
but  they  too  often  fall  short  of  that 
perfection  in  their  personal  living." 
Young  man  in  California,  I  hope  you 
are  listening  tonight. 

Without  qualification,  I  can  say  that 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ  is  the  only  per- 
son to  remain  perfect  through  mor- 
tality. Stevenson  has  said  something 
like  this:  The  saints  are  just  the  sinners 
who  are  trying  a  little  harder.  I  want 
to  promise  you  young  men  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood  that  no  one  in  all 


this  world  is  trying  harder  to  achieve 
perfection  than  your  fine  leaders  in 
the  priesthood:  your  bishopric,  your 
stake  presidency,  your  high  council, 
and  your  advisers.  But  we  are  all  in 
this  mortal  stream  together,  all  of  us, 
you  and  your  leaders,  and  me.  We  are 
all  in  together  and,  I  hope,  trying  to 
do  better  each  day.  Let  us  all  try  to 
help  one  another  with  shortcomings. 
To  criticize  and  run  down  is  to  aid  the 
adversary  in  his  plan  of  destruction. 
Young  men,  we,  your  leaders,  will  con- 
tinue to  encourage  you  in  kindness  and 
sincerity.  Will  you  help  us,  your 
priesthood  leaders,  in  the  same  way? 
That  is  what  true  brotherhood  in  the 
priesthood  means. 

O  my  wonderful  young  brethren,  this 
work  is  true.  Priesthood  is  the  center 
core  of  it  all.  You  can't  win  any  game 
without  a  plan.  Look  sharp.  Be  clean. 
Be  proud  to  represent  your  priesthood. 
The  only  real  peace  in  this  world  is 
peace  of  mind.  You  listen  to  the  voice 
of  a  prophet  and  let  your  priesthood 
leaders  show  you  the  way,  and  I  will 
promise  you  that  life  will  be  sweet. 
Your  priesthood  will  be  meaningful, 
and  yours  will  be  victory.  There  will 
be  no  greater  day  in  your  life  than  to 
enter  the  presence  of  your  Heavenly 
Father  and  hear  him  say,  "Well  done, 
thou  good  and  faithful  servant,"  and  I 
pray  it  in  the  name  of  his  Son,  Jesus 
Christ.   Amen.  O 


•  My  dear  brethren: 

Some  twenty-five  years  or  more  ago 
my  wife  and  I  built  a  home.  The  first 
of  many  trees  that  we  planted  was  a 
thornless  honey  locust.  I  remember 
the  day  we  brought  it  home  from  the 
nursery,  a  spindly  little  whip  of  a  tree, 
so  small  and  supple  I  could  have  tied 
it  into  a  knot.  I  dug  a  hole,  put  in  the 


roots,  shoveled  back  the  earth,  watered 
it,  and  forgot  it.  It  stands  at  the  south 
side  of  the  house,  where  the  wind 
coming  from  the  canyon  to  the  east 
blows  hardest. 

One  winter  day  a  few  years  ago  I 
chanced  to  look  out  the  window  at  the 
tree.  I  noticed  it  was  terribly  mis- 
shapen,   leaning    ungracefully    to    the 


west,  so  much  so  that  a  heavy  storm 
might  have  uprooted  it.  I  went  to  my 
toolhouse,  where  I  save  things  for  two 
years  before  throwing  them  away,  got 
a  block  and  tackle,  anchored  one  end 
to  the  tree  and  the  other  to  another 
tree,  and  pulled  and  pulled  to  no  avail. 
The  little  whip  of  a  tree  was  now  a 
giant  with  a  diameter  of  almost  a  foot. 


Era,  December  1970    97 


After  debating  with  myself  for  a  week 
or  two,  I  finally  took  a  pruning  saw 
and  cut  off  the  great  west  limb.  I  al- 
most wept  at  my  butchery.  It  looks 
better  today.  It  has  straightened  some- 
what, but  where  the  heavy  cut  was 
made,  it  developed  a  great  scar,  which 
has  cracked  and  let  in  decay. 

The  tree  that  might  have  been  gra- 
cious and  beautiful  leaves  much  to  be 
desired.  Once  it  could  have  been  kept 
straight  with  a  string  for  an  anchor. 
Now  neither  block  and  tackle  nor 
pruning  saw  can  make  up  for  the 
neglect  of  its  younger  years. 

It  is  so  with  people.  It  takes  only  a 
string,  as  it  were,  to  help  children  grow 
strong  and  straight  in  the  Church.  One 
such  string  has  been  their  own  maga- 
zine, the  Children's  Friend.  This  has 
been  a  great  magazine.  All  who  have 
been  acquainted  with  it  have  regarded 
it  as  an  outstanding  children's  journal. 

An  eminent  child  psychologist  wrote: 
"I  have  known  the  Children's  Friend 
as  one  of  the  only  decently  edited 
magazines  for  children  in  the  United 


States."  Under  the  program  of  correla- 
tion, instituted  by  the  First  Presidency, 
the  name  of  the  magazine  will  be 
changed.  It  will  simply  be  the  Friend, 
dropping  the  word  children's,  because 
when  some  youngsters  get  to  be  ten 
and  eleven  years  of  age,  they  think 
they  are  no  longer  children.  But  they 
still  need  a  Friend. 

The  Primary  Association  will  no 
longer  be  its  sole  sponsor.  It  will  be 
published  by  the  Church,  with  the 
Children's  Correlation  Committee  and 
representatives  of  both  the  Primary  and 
the  Sunday  School  as  editorial  con- 
sultants. It  will  be  edited  by  men  and 
women  with  long  experience,  and  will 
be  a  new  friend,  a  better  friend,  for  the 
children  of  the  Church,  and  we  hope 
for  many  others.  With  wonderful 
stories  and  fascinating  art,  it  will  open 
small  and  delightful  windows  and 
bring  to  young  minds  understanding  of 
eternal  and  marvelous  gospel  princi- 
ples. It  will  be  a  blessing  in  every 
home  into  which  it  goes. 

Children   are  so  very  important.    I 


never  get  over  the  thought  that  every 
man,  good  or  bad,  was  once  a  little 
boy,  and  that  every  woman  was  once 
a  little  girl.  They  have  moved  in  the 
direction  in  which  they  were  pointed 
when  they  were  small.  Truly,  "As  the 
twig  is  bent,  so  the  tree  is  inclined." 
The  time  to  mold  the  pattern  of  virtu- 
ous youth  and  faithful  adults  is  child- 
hood. 

Most  of  you  brethren  are  fathers, 
fathers  of  young  children.  Some  of 
you  are  grandfathers.  Others  are 
bishops  or  in  other  capacities  with 
responsibility  for  children.  We  ask 
your  support  in  seeing  that  the  Friend 
is  in  every  Latter-day  Saint  home 
where  there  is  a  child. 

It  will  bless  the  child  and  it  will 
bless  the  home. 

May  I  leave  with  you  a  motto:  "A 
Friend  for  Every  Child."  As  children 
grow  in  faithfulness,  anchored  against 
the  storms  of  life,  so  in  strength  will 
the  Church  and  the  nation  grow.  I 
pray  that  it  may  be  so,  in  the  name  of 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  Q 


•  President  Smith  and  my  beloved 
brethren  of  the  priesthood:  Hanging 
in  my  office  are  two  moving  portrayals 
of  the  importance  of  the  written  word: 
One  is  a  picture  of  Mormon  working 
on  the  gold  plates,  and  the  other  of 
Moroni,  in  his  anguished  loneliness, 
about  to  leave  the  records  in  Cumorah's 
Hill. 

I  think  how  Nephi  and  his  brothers 
were  sent  to  obtain  the  written 
records,  and  of  the  Ten  Command- 
ments inscribed  on  tablets  of  stone.  I 
have  long  been  associated  with  the 
"Spoken  Word,"  but  never  do  I  suppose 


that  it  will  take  the  place  of  the  writ- 
ten word. 

Since  the  beginning  of  this  dispen- 
sation, the  Church  has  provided  various 
periodicals  and  publications  for  its 
people.  They  would  make  a  long  and 
distinguished  list,  published  for  a  sea- 
son, and  then  supplanted,  according  to 
circumstances.  And  now  with  the 
Church  reaching  worldwide,  further 
changes  are  with  us. 

The  Improvement  Era,  established 
some  73  years  ago  by  President  Heber 
J.  Grant,  President  Joseph  F.  Smith, 
and  others,  has  served   an   important 


purpose,  along  with  the  other  maga- 
zines of  the  Church.  I  am  privileged 
to  have  been  associated  with  the  Era 
nearly  half  the  length  of  its  life. 

And  now,  as  announced,  all  such 
periodicals  are  to  be  published  directly 
through  the  priesthood  channels  of  the 
Church. 

We  are  pleased  that  the  magazine  to 
be  published  for  the  young  people  shall 
be  named  the  New  Era — and  the  title 
would  seem  to  be  timeless.  In  its  first 
issue,  the  Improvement  Era  announced 
as  its  purpose  to  uplift  the  lives  of 
youth  and  to  aid  parents  and  teachers 


98 


in  the  same  effort.   The  New  Era  will 
be  pointed  to  the  same  purpose. 

Brother  Doyle  Green,  Brother  Jay 
Todd,  and  Sister  Elaine  Cannon,  under 
the  general  direction  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, with  others  of  the  General 
Authorities,  including  President  Kim- 
hall,  Brothers  Marion  G.  Romney, 
Howard  W.  Hunter,  Marion  D.  Hanks, 
Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg,  and  a 
long  list  of  distinguished  contributors, 
are  committed  to  making  the  New  Era 
serve  the  youth  and  young  adults  of 
the  Church,  from  deacons  on  through 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  with  girls  of 
like  age — seminaries,  institutes,  Sunday 
School,  MIA,  LDSSA;  and  in  general, 
those  young  people  in  the  searching, 
decision-making  years  of  life  who  are 
as  yet  uncommitted  to  marriage;  those 
concerned  with  college,  careers,  mis- 
sions, military  service,  dating,  dress  and 
grooming,  books,  art,  science,  literature, 
doctrinal  questions  that  arise  in  the 
pursuit  of  education,  and  the  whole 
moral  tone,  and  conduct  and  principles 
and  standards  that  so  much  need  to  be 


retaught  and  reemphasized  in  these 
times.  (President  Lee  reminded  us 
within  the  last  few  hours  that  31.1  per- 
cent of  the  membership  of  the  Church 
are  between  the  ages  of  12  and  25.)  The 
years  before  marriage,  these  years  of 
searching  and  decision,  affect  the  fu- 
ture forever. 

And  now,  I  have  a  most  embarrassing 
admission  to  make.  We  are  scheduled 
to  bring  out  the  first  issue  of  the  New 
Era  in  January — and  we  don't  know 
how  many  to  print.  So  far  as  I  offi- 
cially know,  we  don't  yet  have  a  single 
subscriber!  The  Friend  that  Brother 
Hinckley  has  been  talking  about  and 
the  adult  magazine  concerning  which 
Brother  Monson  will  tell  us  took  all  the 
subscribers.  And  yet  they're  such  nice 
people;  you  would  think  they  would 
have  left  us  just  a  few!  They  left  us 
with  the  nucleus  of  a  wonderful  staff, 
and  a  good  name — but  not  a  single 
subscriber!  And  so  you,  the  young 
people  of  the  Church,  see  your  ward  or 
branch  magazine  representative  and 
offer  him  three  dollars  or  its  equiva- 


lent, according  to  the  country  in  which 
you  live,  for  a  subscription  to  the  New 
Era.  We  won't  refuse  a  subscription 
from  anyone  that  I  know  of!  And  right 
now  we're  offering  the  first  free  sub- 
scription of  the  New  Era  to  President 
Smith,  if  he  will  accept  it! 

We  pledge  you  our  best  to  make  the 
New  Era  challenging,  attractive,  full  of 
substance,  exciting,  with  much  expres- 
sion in  it  from  the  young  people  of  the 
Church  themselves  and  from  all  their 
organizations,  and  from  the  First  Presi- 
dency and  other  General  Authorities, 
with  a  candid,  open,  practical,  con- 
temporary approach — yet  firmly  tied  to 
the  revealed  and  timeless  truths  on 
which  our  faith  and  our  lives  are 
founded.  We  pledge  you  our  best  to 
make  the  New  Era  something  that  you 
will  want  to  have  in  your  homes, 
something  to  read,  something  that  will 
be  sincerely  significant  in  your  lives. 

God  bless  you  all,  my  beloved  young 
friends,  Churchwide  and  worldwide, 
and  be  with  all  of  you — always — I  pray 
in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.     Q 


"Thou  Art  aTeacher  Come  From  God' ' 


Elder  Thomas  S.  Monson 
Of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve 


•  President  Smith,  when  I  am  in  your 
presence  I  think  of  the  principle  of 
courage,  for  it  was  15  years  ago  in  the 
building  to  the  south  of  us,  the  As- 
sembly Hall,  when  you  presided  at  a 
conference  where  I  was  called  as  a 
member  of  the  stake  presidency.  I 
remember  the  day  well.  I  was  singing 
in  an  Aaronic  Presthood  chorus.  I 
was  a  bishop,  and  bishopric  members 
always  sing  when  the  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood participates. 

As  President  Smith  stepped  to  the 
pulpit,  he  read  my  name  as  a  member 
of  the  stake  presidency.  It  was  the  first 


notification  I  had  had  of  my  appoint- 
ment. He  then  used  these  words  to 
introduce  me:  "If  Brother  Monson 
would  now  like  to  accept  this  calling, 
we  would  be  pleased  to  hear  from 
him." 

May  I  quote  to  you  the  last  line  of 
the  hymn  we  had  just  concluded  sing- 
ing: "Have  courage,  my  boy;  have 
courage,  my  boy,  to  say  no."  I  used 
as  my  theme  that  bright  June  day: 
"Have  courage,  my  boy,  to  say  yes," 
and  it  requires  courage  every  time  I 
stand  at  this  pulpit. 

My  brethren,  tonight  we  have  heard 


stimulating  messages  relating  to  a 
magazine  for  our  small  children  and 
another  magazine  for  our  youth.  Speak- 
ing as  an  adult,  your  thought  and  con- 
cern could  well  be,  "What  about 
Mother  and  me?"  To  this  question  I 
would  reply:  "Let  not  your  heart  be 
troubled.  You,  too,  will  have  your 
magazine." 

The  new  adult  magazine  will  replace 
three  well-known  publications:  the 
Improvement  Era,  the  Relief  Society 
Magazine,  and  the  Instructor.  How- 
ever, the  most  outstanding  and  useful 
features    of    each    of    these    excellent 


Era,  December  1970    99 


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publications  will  be  retained  and  be- 
come a  vital  part  of  the  new  magazine. 
The  readership  audience  will  be  the 
adult  membership  of  the  Church. 

Just  as  a  new  city  or  child  receives 
a  name,  so  must  the  new  adult 
magazine.  The  selection  has  not  been 
made  without  thorough  study  and 
much  prayer.  You  will  recognize  the 
name.  The  prophet  Isaiah  particularly 
stressed  its  significance.  He  declared 
that  the  Lord  will  lift  up  "an  ensign 
to  the  nations";  ye  shall  "be  left  as  a 
beacon  upon  the  top  of  a  mountain, 
and  as  an  ensign  on  an  hill."  (Isa. 
11:12;  30:17.)  And  in  this  dispensation, 
the  Lord  spoke:  ".  .  .  Zion  shall  flour- 
ish, and  the  glory  of  the  Lord  shall 
be  upon  her;  And  she  shall  be  an 
ensign  unto  the  people.  .  .  ."  (D&C  64: 
41-42.)  The  name  of  the  new  adult 
magazine  will  be  The  Ensign  of  The 
Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day 
Saints.  Its  contents  will  be  as  a  beacon 
upon  the  top  of  a  mountain  and  as  an 
ensign  on  a  hill,  that  the  adults  of 
the  Church  might  be  more  adequately 
prepared  to  be  examples  to  their  chil- 
dren and  to  the  world. 

Several  significant  questions  have 
accompanied  the  announcement  in  the 
Church  News  relative  to  the  new  adult 
publication.  Perhaps  a  review  of  them 
would  be  helpful: 

Question  #1:  Who  should  subscribe 
to   the  Ensign? 

Answer:  The  First  Presidency  is 
encouraging  every  English-speaking 
family  in  the  Church  to  be  a  sub- 
scriber. Month-for-month  subscrip- 
tion credit  on  the  new  adult  magazine 
will  be  given  present  subscribers  to  the 
Era,  Instructor,  and  Relief  Society  Mag- 
azine. For  instance,  when  the  Instruc- 
tor ceases  publication  December  31, 
those  subscribers  who  have  perhaps 
three  issues  due  them  on  their  present 
Instructor  subscription  will  receive, 
without  charge,  three  issues  of  the 
Ensign.  The  same  applies  to  the  Era 
and  Relief  Society  Magazine  as  they 
conclude  their  publication  at  the  end 
of  the  year. 

Question  #2:  What  will  be  the  an- 
nual subscription  price  of  the  Ensign? 

Answer:  In  the  past  we  have  rather 
expected  our  families  to  subscribe  to 
all  three  adult  publications,  which  at 
present  rates  amounts  to  $10.50.  Fami- 
lies wall  now  pay  just  $4.00  for  the 
Ensign — a  savings  to  families  of  $6.50. 

Question  #3:  Will  lessons  for  Relief 
Society  appear  in  the  Ensign? 

Answer:  No.  These  will  be  pub- 
lished in  lesson  manual  style  as  is 
presently  the  practice  in  other  auxiliary 
organizations  and  in  priesthood  quo- 
rums. The  sisters  should  note,  how- 
ever, that  the  Relief  Society  lessons  for 
the   period  January    1,    1971,   through 


100 


August  30,  1971,  will  already  have  been 
published  in  the  Relief  Society  Maga- 
zine, concluding  with  the  December 
issue. 

Question  #4:  What  will  be  the  an- 
ticipated beginning  circulation  for  the 
Ensign? 

Answer:  The  Ensign  will  be  the 
largest  in  circulation  of  the  three  new 
magazines,  with  an  initial  print  order 
or  press  run  of  over  325,000  copies. 

Question  #5:  Who  will  have  the  re- 
sponsibility of  publishing  the  Ensign? 

Answer:  The  magazine  will  be  pub- 
lished under  the  supervision  of  the 
First  Presidency.  Members  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  and  other  Gen- 
eral Authorities  who  have  supervisory 
responsibility  for  Church  programs  for 
adults  will  have  special  assignments 
with  the  magazine,  as  will  the  presi- 
dencies and  superintendences  of  auxil- 
iary organizations  at  the  level  of  the 
general  boards.  The  correlation  pro- 
gram secretaries  also  will  play  a  vital 
part  in  producing  the  publication.  The 
Ensign  will  have  a  talented  and  expe- 
rienced staff,  headed  by  Doyle  L. 
Green  as  managing  editor,  with  M. 
Dallas  Burnett  as  associate  editor. 

Question  #6;  What  will  the  maga- 
zine contain? 

Answer:  The  Ensign  will  be  written 
in  such  a  way  as  to  enhance  its  use. 
There  will  be  articles  on  home  teach- 
ing, family  home  evenings,  missionary, 
welfare,  and  genealogical  work.  Leader- 
ship and  teacher  development  will  also 
be  vital  features.  Material  from  the 
Ensign  will  be  used  widely  in  every 
teaching  classroom  of  the  Church,  in- 
cluding that  special  classroom  called 
home.  In  addition,  there  will  be  fic- 
tion, poetry,  and  those  feature  articles 
which  have  been  so  popular  in  the 
present  adult  publications. 

This,  then,  will  be  The  Ensign  of 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints — your  adult  publication. 
Subscribe  to  it.  Read  its  contents.  Apply 
in  your  lives  its  lessons.  You,  too,  will 
then  be  as  an  ensign,  even  the  light  of 
the  world,  a  city  of  righteousness  set 
on  a  hill  that  cannot  be  hid. 

As  mentioned,  information  about  the 
new  teacher  development  program  will 
be  one  of  the  features  contained  in  the 
Ensign.  The  First  Presidency  has  asked 
that  I  now  introduce  to  you  this  in- 
spired new  program,  which  has  the 
potential  to  improve  the  quality  of 
teaching  throughout  the  Church. 

Brethren,  have  you  as  a  father  ever 
asked  your  son  this  question:  "Dick, 
how  did  the  Sunday  School  class  go 
today?"  Young  men,  on  occasion  have 
you  answered:  "Not  so  good,  Dad.  My 
teacher  didn't  show  up"?  Perhaps  your 
reply  was:  "My  teacher,  Brother  Camp- 


bell,  tries  hard,  but  he  just  doesn't 
communicate. " 

If  we  are  honest  with  ourselves,  some 
version  of  this  same  dialogue  has  been 
heard  in  every  Latter-day  Saint  home. 
Nor  is  it  restricted  to  Sunday  School, 
but  it  also  extends  to  Primary,  MIA, 
Relief  Society,  and  the  quorums  of  the 
priesthood. 

John  Milton  described  this  plight  in 
these  words:  "The  hungry  sheep  look 
up  but  are  not  fed."  (Lycidas.)  The 
Lord  himself  said  to  Ezekiel  the 
prophet,  "Woe  be  to  the  shepherds  of 
Israel  that  .  .  .  feed  not  the  flock." 
(Ezek.  34:2-3.) 

Are  wise  shepherds,  even  skilled  and 
righteous  teachers,  needed  today?  Our 
fast-moving  jet-propelled  world  har- 
bors pressures  and  temptations  not 
previously  known. 

More  than  $500  million  a  year  are 
spent  on  pornographic  literature  by 
which  evil  men  try  to  "dig  gold  out  of 
dirt."  Magazines,  movies,  TV  pro- 
grams, and  other  mass  media  are 
frequently  utilized  to  lower  moral 
standards  and  induce  improper  behav- 
ior. Crime  and  delinquency  are  ram- 
pant. Spiritual  values  are  questioned. 
The  effective  teacher  is  desperately 
needed  to  help  us  understand  what  is 
genuine  and  important  in  this  life  and 
develop  the  strength  to  choose  the 
paths  that  will  keep  us  safely  on  the 
way  to  eternal  life. 

Knowing  this  situation  and  sensing 
the  need  for  effective  action,  the  First 
Presidency  in  October  1968  called  a 
committee  to  work  to  improve  the 
quality  of  teaching  throughout  the 
Church.  They  counseled  that  the  pro- 
gram should: 

1.  Be  priesthood  sponsored  and 
Churchwide; 

2.  Help  teachers  and  leaders  to  im- 
prove; 

3.  Assist  prospective  teachers  to  be- 
gin their  assignments  with  the  training 
and  spiritual  understanding  necessary 
to  be  effective. 

In  January  of  this  year,  in  an  inter- 
view published  in  the  Deseret  News. 
President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith  and 
his  counselors  stressed  anew  the  im- 
portance of  the  teaching  role.  I  quote: 
"Teaching  members  of  the  Church  to 
keep  the  commandments  of  God  was 
described  by  the  new  First  Presidency 
of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Lat- 
ter-day Saints  as  its  greatest  challenge." 

The  goal  of  gospel  teaching  today,  as 
emphasized  in  the  teacher  development 
program,  is  not  to  "pour  information" 
into  the  minds  of  class  members.  It 
is  not  to  show  how  much  the  teacher 
knows,  nor  is  it  merely  to  increase 
knowledge  about  the  Church.  The 
basic  goal  of  teaching  in  the  Church  is 
to  help  bring  about  worthwhile  changes 


in  the  lives  of  boys  and  girls,  men  and 
women.  The  aim  is  to  inspire  the  indi- 
vidual to  think  about,  feel  about,  and 
then  do  something  about  living  gospel- 
principles. 

To  help  achieve  this  goal  and  meet 
this  aim,  we  now  introduce  to  you,  the 
priesthood,  the  new  teacher  develop- 
ment program  of  the  Church. 

On  Thursday,  October  1,  1970,  in  a 
special  seminar  for  Regional  Represen- 
tatives of  the  Twelve,  the  teacher 
development  program  was  presented  in 
detail.  These  devoted  and  capable 
brethren  will,  in  the  next  six  weeks, 
outline  the  program  to  stake  presi- 
dencies; and  then,  January  1,  1971,  it 
will  commence.  During  the  first  six 
months  of  1971,  when  the  General 
Authorities  visit  each  stake  quarterly 
conference,  they  will  emphasize  this 
program  and  will  report  on  its  imple- 
mentation. 

A  cardinal  principle  of  industrial 
management  teaches:  "When  perfor- 
mance is  measured,  performance  im- 
proves. When  performance  is  measured 
and  reported,  the  rate  of  improvement 
accelerates."  I  think  the  visit  to  your 
stakes  by  the  General  Authorities  will 
bring  the  desired  acceleration. 

Time  dictates  that  my  introduction 
of  the  program  itself  be  presented  in 
headline  form: 

1.  The  new  Churchwide  program  is 
priesthood  sponsored  and  supersedes 
any  other  teacher  training  program  now 
in  use. 

2.  The  stake  president  has  responsi- 
bility for  teacher  development  in  his 
stake.  He  will  call  a  member  of  the 
high  council  to  be  stake  teacher  devel- 
opment director.  This  high  councilor 
should  be  an  outstanding  teacher  who 
has  the  ability  to  motivate  and  inspire. 

3.  The  bishop  has  responsibility  for 
the  teacher  development  program  in  his 
ward.  He  will  call  a  capable  bearer  of 
the  Melchizedek  Priesthood  to  be  the 
ward  teacher  development  director. 

4.  Similar  responsibility  will  rest 
with  mission  presidents,  district  and 
branch  presidents  in  the  missions  of  the 
Church. 

5.  The  new  teacher  development 
program  consists  of  three  parts:  (a) 
the  basic  course;  (b)  inservice  program; 
(c)  supervision  (to  be  introduced  Sep- 
tember   1,    1971). 

6.  The  basic  course  is  designed  to 
help  prospective  and  current  teachers  to 
acquire  knowledge  and  develop  skills, 
that  they  might  become  more  effective. 
It  will  be  conducted  over  an  11-week 
period,  usually  during  the  Sunday 
School  hour,  and  involve  perhaps  eight 
persons  interviewed  and  called,  by  the 
bishop,  to  the  course.  The  instructor 
of  the  basic  course  will  be  the  ward 
teacher  development  director. 


Era,  December  1970    101 


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tions made;  and  more  than  forty  of  Presi- 
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7.  The  inservice  program  will  be  an 
outgrowth  of  the  basic  course  and  will 
encompass  both  spiritual  principles 
and  teaching  skills.  The  inservice  les- 
sons will  be  offered  ten  times  per  year 
for  instructors  in  all  priesthood  quo- 
rums and  auxiliaries. 

8.  The  manuals  for  the  basic  course 
and  the  inservice  program  are  now 
ready  for  distribution.  The  administra- 
tive manual  will  be  sent  to  appropriate 
stake  and  ward  leaders  at  no  cost  to 
them.  A  special  order  form  will  be 
sent  to  each  bishop,  that  he  may  order 
the  necessary  materials  to  implement 
the  program.  Funds  for  same  may  ap- 
propriately come  from  ward  and  stake 
budgets.  Individuals  may  then  make 
payment  to  the  ward  or  stake  for  their 
personal  binders  and  materials.  Quan- 
tity purchasing  has  provided  minimum 
unit  costs. 

9.  The  program  allows  for  consider- 
able flexibility.  In  most  areas  of  the 
Church,  the  program  should  operate 
on  a  ward  level.  However,  options  are 
available  for  the  basic  course  and  in- 
service  lessons  to  be  conducted  on 
a  multi-ward  or  stake  level  where 
necessary. 

10.  The  program  uses  the  strengths 
and  resources  of  small  group  participa- 
tion, with  emphasis  on  doing  and 
participating  in  real  learning  experi- 
ences. 

This,  then,  is  the  new  teacher  de- 
velopment program.  It  has  been  pre- 
tested on  a  carefully  supervised  and 
controlled  pilot  basis  in  the  Monument 
Park,  Walnut  Creek,  and  Gunnison 
stakes  and  the  Victoria  District  of  the 
Alaska-British  Columbia  Mission.  Will 
it  bring  forth  in  your  ward  or  stake  the 
hoped-for  results?  Listen  to  the  testi- 
monies of  but  two  who  have  completed 
the  course: 

"For  the  first  time  in  my  life  I  have 
an  idea  of  how  to  teach." 

"Like  all  blessings  in  the  gospel,  this 
program  will  be  only  as  helpful  as 
those  who  use  it  will  make  it.  There 
will  be  those  who  will  say,  'I  am  a 
master  teacher.  I  don't  need  this.' 
They  will  gain  nothing.  There  are 
those  who  will  say,  Tm  too  busy  for 
this.  The  Church  has  too  many  meet- 
ings.' They  will  gain  nothing.  There 
will  be  those  who  will  say,  'Here  is  an 
opportunity  to  learn.'  They  will  gain 
much,  and  the  Lord's  work  will  move 
ahead." 

In  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints,  each  member,  each 
priesthood  bearer,  will  likely  have  an 
opportunity  to  become  a  teacher.  There 
is  no  privilege  more  noble,  no  task  so 
rewarding.  May  I  extend  to  you,  my 
brethren  of  the  priesthood,  a  sincere 
invitation  to  become  participants  in  the 
teacher  development  endeavor.    May  I 


102 


challenge  you  in  the  words  from  the 
epistle  of  James  to  be  "doers  of  the 
word,  and  not  hearers  only"  (Jas.  1:22). 
remembering: 

I  hear  and  I  forget; 
I  see  and  I  remember; 
I  do  and  I  learn. 

Others  then  will  follow  your  exam- 
ple. Teaching  will  improve.  Com- 
mandments will  be  lived.  Lives  will 
be  blessed. 

In    Galilee   there    taught    a    master 


teacher,  even  Jesus  Christ  the  Lord.  He 
left  his  footprints  in  the  sands  of  the 
seashore,  but  he  left  his  teaching  prin- 
ciples in  the  hearts  and  in  the  lives 
of  all  whom  he  taught.  He  instructed 
his  disciples  of  that  day,  and  to  us  he 
speaks  the  same  words,  "Follow  thou 
me."  Then,  as  now,  foolish,  unwise 
persons  will  stop  their  ears,  close  their 
eyes,  and  turn  away  their  hearts.  Let 
us  remember,  there  is  no  deafness  so 
permanent  as  the  deafness  which  will 
not  hear.  There  is  no  blindness  so  in- 
curable as  the  blindness  which  will  not 


see.   There  is  no  ignorance  so  deep  as 
the  ignorance  that  will  not  know. 

May  we,  like  Thomas  of  old,  not 
doubting  but  believing,  respond,  "Let 
us  go."  Yes,  may  we  go  forward  in  the 
introduction  and  implementation  of 
this  new  program  for  teacher  develop- 
ment. As  we  do  so,  in  this  spirit  of 
obedient  response,  it  may  be  said  of 
each  teacher  as  it  was  spoken  of  the 
Redeemer,  ". . .  thou  art  a  teacher  come 
from  God."  (John  3:2.)  May  this  be 
so,  I  pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  Q 


•  Someone  has  said,  "An  event  is  an 
idea  whose  time  has  come." 

For  over  thirty  years — it  will  be  next 
April — since  I  became  a  member  of 
the  Council  of  the  Twelve,  there  has 
been  talk  of  unifying  the  magazines  of 
the  Church.  It  has  always  been 
thought  that  it  was  right,  but  the  time 
was  not  yet.  The  event  now  has  be- 
come so  because  the  time  has  arrived. 

You  will  note  that  we  have  said  these 
magazines  are  to  be  available  to  all 
English-speaking  countries  where  we 
have  members  of  the  Church.  You  will 
be  asking,  what  about  the  other  of  the 
19  languages  in  which  we  are  now 
teaching  the  gospel — 11  into  which  we 
have  translated  the  lessons  of  the 
Church.  May  I  explain  that  we  have 
a  unified  magazine  printed  in  many  of 
the  languages  of  these  foreign-speaking 
peoples.  The  materials  for  these  maga- 
zines are  edited  through  our  editorial 
department,  with  a  few  pages  left  for 
each  mission,  to  be  used  for  that  par- 
ticular area.  All  the  material  that 
would  go  into  these  magazines  will  be 
the  same,  but  printed  in  the  language 
of  those  peoples,  so  that  the  entire 
Church,  in  every  language  where  we 


have  the  translations,  will  have  a  mag- 
azine that  will  be  a  direct  communica- 
tion from  the  priesthood  of  the  Church. 

Much  thought  has  gone  into  this. 
On  the  first  Thursday  of  every  month 
a  very  important  meeting  is  held  in  an 
upper  room  of  the  temple  where  all  the 
General  Authorities  come  fasting.  The 
first  part  of  the  meeting  is  a  business 
meeting,  at  which  time  all  the  pro- 
posals for  new  ideas  or  new  methods 
or  new  undertakings  are  brought  for- 
ward, after  having  been  processed 
through  the  month  preceding,  for  the 
perusal  and  consideration  of  all  the 
General  Authorities  of  the  Church.  At 
that  meeting,  then,  action  is  taken, 
and  by  that  action  it  then  becomes  the 
official  action  of  the  General  Authori- 
ties of  the  Church — which  must  be 
considered  to  be  the  constitution  of  the 
Church  and  kingdom  of  God  upon  the 
earth. 

That  is  the  process  by  which  these 
new  magazines  might  be  said  to  have 
become  an  "event."  That  is  the  pro- 
cess by  which  the  future  development 
has  come.  That  is  the  process  by  which 
a  bishops'  training  program  will  now 
be  inaugurated  throughout  the  entire 


Church.  That  is  the  process  by  which 
a  Churchwide  budget  system  will  be 
inaugurated,  and  so  will  every  other 
program  that  will  be  launched,  as  it 
comes  now  from  the  General  Authori- 
ties of  the  Church,  out  to  all  the  mem- 
bership of  the  Church. 

You  will  understand  why  we  are  so 
concerned.  As  President  Tanner  and 
I  first  considered  the  excitement  at  the 
June  Conference  when  they  knew  that 
there  was  to  be  a  youth  magazine, 
President  Tanner  said  to  me,  "Because 
of  the  loyalty  of  our  people,  we  must 
be  sure  that  we  are  right."  And  that 
becomes  a  great  concern.  To  be  as 
certain  as  we  know  how,  these  things 
are  subjected  to  prayer  and  fasting  and 
careful,  mature  consideration,  in  order 
that  we  might  have  "the  will  of  the 
Lord, ...  the  mind  of  the  Lord,  .  .  .  the 
voice  of  the  Lord,  .  .  .  and  the  power  of 
God  unto  salvation."  (D&C  68:4.)  You 
may  understand,  then,  that  these  things 
that  have  been  announced  to  you  have 
come  with  the  official  approval.  We 
ask  the  loyalty  of  the  membership  of 
the  priesthood  now  to  get  behind  these 
magazines  and  see  to  it  that  they  be- 
come  the   greatest   magazines   printed 


Era,  December  1970    103 


for  each  group  of  our  people  that  may 
be  available  throughout  the  world. 

One  more  thought:  If  you  had  to  sit 
facing  these  blazing  lights  for  these 
hours,  as  we  do  here  on  the  stand,  you 
would  have  seen  beads  of  perspiration 
on  Elder  Monson's  brow  as  he  talked  to 


you,  and  as  you  will  see  on  my  brow, 
and  on  others  who  will  speak.  We 
understand  that  the  temperature  here 
is  about  fifteen  degrees  higher  than 
where  you  brethren  sit.  I  say  that  so 
that  you  will  be  a  little  more  com- 
fortable. 


The 
Spoken  Word 


"The  Spoken  Word"  from  Tem- 
ple Square,  presented  over  KSL 
and  the  Columbia  Broadcasting 
System  September  20,  1970.©1970 


Debt:  "a  tanglesome  net" 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

It  has  been  long  since  Samuel  Johnson  said,  "Do  not  accustom  your- 
self to  consider  debt  only  as  an  inconvenience;  or  you  will  find  it 
a  calamity."  In  a  world  that  needs  so  much  to  search  itself  in  spiritual 
and  moral  and  ethical  matters,  one  feels  defensive  in  mentioning  a 
matter  so  mundane  as  money,  but  always  there  is  need  of  honesty 
and  balance  and  soundness  and  solvency.  And  in  marriage,  in  the  home, 
and  in  all  of  life,  many  difficulties  and  much  misunderstanding  come 
from  the  mismanagement  of  money — and  many  difficulties  come  from 
attitudes  of  immaturity  and  irresponsibility  toward  debt.  It  is  not  the 
necessary  borrowing  that  we  are  speaking  of,  but  the  often  too  easy 
attitude  that  debt  doesn't  matter  very  much.  But  aside  from  the  neces- 
sities of  sickness,  education,  buying  a  home  and  some  other  such  es- 
sentials, "Getting  into  debt,"  in  the  words  of  Benjamin  Franklin,  "is 
getting  into  a  tanglesome  net."  And  borrowing  for  luxuries  would  seem 
exceedingly  shortsighted.  Recognizing  the  reasons  for  borrowing  in 
business,  and  sometimes  for  personal  essentials,  it  is  still  true  that 
what  we  owe  to  anyone  is  a  mortgage  on  our  future,  and  that  what  we 
owe,  we  owe  and  it  must  be  paid  if  we  are  to  keep  our  credit,  our  hon- 
est moral  obligation,  and  our  good  name  among  men.  And  while  bor- 
rowing sometimes  seems  relatively  easy,  paying  back  is  relatively  difficult 
to  do— with  interest  added.  The  home  is  the  source  of  stability  in  society. 
And  home  and  marriage  are  happier  if  there  is  responsibility  and  good 
management  in  money  matters,  with  parents  and  children  facing  and 
living  within  the  financial  facts.  These  simple  rules  are  suggested:  Buy 
wisely.  Control  debt.  Save  regularly.  Use  a  family  budget.  Get  good  ad- 
vice. Read  the  fine  print  in  all  contracts  and  commitments.  Don't 
plunge.  Don't  buy  on  impulse.  And  except  for  absolute  necessity, 
borrow  only  according  to  the  ability  to  pay  back.  Honesty  calls  for  sin- 
cere commitment  to  pay  our  debts  when  due.  And  finally,  "If  you  want 
the  time  to  pass  quickly,  just  give  your  note  for  90  days."1  "Do  not 
accustom  yourself  to  consider  debt  only  as  an  inconvenience;  or  you 
will  find  it  a  calamity." 


'R.  B.  Thomas:  Farmers'  Almanack,  1797. 


I  was  up  in  Preston,  Idaho,  sometime 
ago,  dedicating  a  meetinghouse,  and 
I  thought  as  I  sat  there  in  that  lovely 
place,  My,  isn't  it  wonderful  that  we 
have  these  air-conditioned  buildings 
today,  such  as  we  didn't  have  in  my 
younger  years.  In  the  course  of  the 
meeting,  the  bishop  announced  that 
their  air-conditioning  system  was  not 
working.  Suddenly  I  became  very  un- 
comfortably warm.  That  is  what  hap- 
pens to  us  when  our  minds  take 
precedence  over  matter. 

I  said  to  Brother  Evans  one  day, 
"These  punishing  lights — they  are 
devastating."  And  he  said  something 
to  me  that  caused  me  some  thought. 
He  said,  "If  you  want  to  be  seen,  you 
must  be  lighted." 

Now  I  want  to  translate  that  into 
something  for  you  to  think  about.  If 
you  want  to  have  the  power  of  the 
priesthood  to  be  of  any  benefit  to  you 
or  before  the  world,  you  must  keep  it 
lighted.   You  must  exercise  it. 

The  Master  said,  "Neither  do  men 
light  a  candle,  and  put  it  under  a 
bushel,  but  on  a  candlestick;  and  it 
giveth  light  unto  all  that  are  in  the 
house."  Then  he  added,  "Let  your 
light  so  shine  before  men,  that  they 
may  see  your  good  works,  and  glorify 
your  Father  which  is  in  heaven." 
(Matt.  5:15-16.) 

If  you  want  to  be  seen  as  holders  of 
the  priesthood,  you  have  to  keep  your 
lamp  lighted. 

The  Lord  said  in  a  great  revelation, 
".  .  .  if  you  will  that  I  give  unto  you  a 
place  in  the  celestial  world,  you  must 
prepare  yourselves  by  doing  the  things 
which  I  have  commanded  you  and 
required  of  you."  (D&C  78:7.) 

I  want  now  to  make  one  more  com- 
ment. The  kingdom  of  God  must  be 
a  continuing  revolution  against  the 
norms  of  the  society  that  fall  below 
the  standards  that  are  set  for  us  in  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ.  In  the  field  of 
public  life,  it  must  be  a  continuing 
revolution  against  proposals  that  con- 
tradict the  fundamental  principles  as 
laid  down  in  the  Constitution  of  the 
United  States,  which  was  written  by 
men  whom  God  raised  up  for  this  very 
purpose.  If  we  remember  that,  we  will 
be  in  the  forefront  of  every  battle 
against  the  things  that  are  tearing 
down  our  society. 

I  am  sure  we  were  all  impressed 
when  Brother  Eldred  G.  Smith  said  in 
his  address  that  it  shouldn't  be  neces- 
sary to  make  laws  to  persuade  the 
Latter-day  Saints  to  keep  the  Sabbath 
day  holy.  If  the  body  of  the  priesthood 
— if  you  150,000  members  of  the  priest- 
hood who  are  in  these  various  gather- 
ing places — would  resolve  here  and 
now  that  neither  you  nor  your  families 
will  hereafter  patronize  any  business 


104 


that  is  open  on  Sunday,  it  wouldn't  be 
long  until  they  would  close  their  busi- 
nesses on  Sunday.  You  would  wield 
such  a  force  and  power  that  you  would 
dry  up  the  businesses  that  are  making 
their  Sunday  opening  profitable.  They 
are  only  catering  to  the  needs  of  the 
people  who  are  demanding  Sunday 
service.  You  think  about  it,  you 
brethren. 

Pornographic  literature!  It  has  been 
a  shock,  I  am  sure,  to  all  of  us  to  read 
the'  report  of  the  commission  that  has 
been  studying  obscenity  reports,  and 
the  recommendation  that  there  should 
be  a  repeal  of  all  laws  prohibiting  the 
distribution  of  explicit,  sexual  materials 
to  consenting  adults.  Shocking!  Now 
brethren,  this  is  a  thing  that  we  must, 
as  a  priesthood,  take  a  firm  stand 
against,  and  do  everything  within  our 
communities  to  see  to  it  that  by  every 
means  within  our  power  we  are  going 
to  play  down  the  showing  of  or  the 
distribution  of  any  kind  of  porno- 
graphic literature,  films,  or  advertise- 
ments. It  has  been  a  delight  to  us  to 
have  our  Deseret  News  announce  that, 
shortly,  there  will  be  no  advertising 
of  "R"  and  "X"  rated  films.  We  would 
wish  it  would  be  so  in  every  com- 
munity. If  you  brethren,  in  all  of 
your  communities,  would  now  take  a 
firm  stand,  I  think  there  would  be  a 
time  shortly  when  somebody  would 
wake  up  to  the  fact  that  we  are  no 
longer  going  to  tolerate  these  kinds  of 
things  that  are  placed  before  our  people 
to  tear  down  their  morals. 

One  more  thought  and  then  I  shall 
be  through.  President  Smith  talked 
about  the  oath  and  covenant  that  be- 


longs to  the  priesthood.  This  is  but 
another  way  of  saying  what  the  Lord 
has  said  in  revelations  when  he  spoke 
of  those  who  would  be  heirs  to  the 
celestial  kingdom.  He  said,  "They  are 
they  who  received  the  testimony  of 
Jesus,  and  believed  on  his  name  and 
were  baptized,  .  .  .  and  receive  the  Holy 
Spirit  by  the  laying  on  of  the  hands  .  .  . 
and  are  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise."  (D&C  76:51-53.) 

In  another  revelation,  he  said  that  a 
man  and  wife  who  are  sealed  by  the 
Holy  Spirit  of  promise  shall  pass  by 
the  angels  and  gods  that  are  set  there 
to  their  exaltation  and  glory  in  all 
things,  as  has  been  sealed  upon  their 
heads. 

In  an  explanation  of  what  it  means 
to  be  sealed  by  the  Holy  Spirit  of 
promise,  one  of  our  brethren  said  this: 
"While  we  receive  eternal  blessings  at 
the  hands  of  the  priesthood  which  has 
the  right  to  seal  on  earth  and  it  shall 
be  sealed  in  the  heavens,  this  revela- 
tion clearly  states  that  it  must  be  sealed 
by  the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise  also.  A 
man  and  woman  may  by  fraud  and 
deception  obtain  admittance  to  the 
House  of  the  Lord  and  may  receive  the 
pronouncement  of  the  holy  priesthood, 
giving  to  them  so  far  as  lies  in  their 
power  these  blessings.  We  may  deceive 
men  but  we  cannot  deceive  the  Holy 
Ghost,  and  our  blessings  will  not  be 
eternal  unless  they  are  also  sealed  by 
the  Holy  Spirit  of  promise.  The  Holy 
Ghost  is  one  who  reads  the  thoughts 
and  hearts  of  men,  and  gives  his  seal- 
ing approval  to  the  blessings  pro- 
nounced upon  their  heads.  Then  it  is 
binding,  efficacious,  and  of  full  force." 


(Melvin  J.  Ballard,  "Three  Degrees  of 
Glory.") 

Remembering  that  then,  brethren, 
we  are  prepared  to  understand  what 
the  brethren  meant  when  they  spoke  at 
the  dedication  of  the  Idaho  Falls  Tem- 
ple about  the  stand  we  could  take  now 
in  such  matters  as  politics.  We  are 
approaching  another  election.  Let  us 
hear  again  what  the  brethren  prayed 
for  in  that  dedicatory  prayer: 

"We  pray  that  kings  and  rulers  and 
the  peoples  of  all  nations  under  heaven 
may  be  persuaded  of  the  blessings  en- 
joyed by  the  people  of  this  land  by 
reason  of  their  freedom  under  thy 
guidance,  and  be  constrained  to  adopt 
similar  governmental  systems,  thus  to 
fulfill  the  ancient  prophecy  of  Isaiah, 
that  out  of  Zion  shall  go  forth  the  law 
and  the  word  of  the  Lord  from  Jeru- 
salem." 

Brethren  of  the  priesthood,  if  we  will 
be  united  and  let  our  light  shine,  and 
not  hide  our  light  under  a  bushel  but 
exercise  it  righteously,  and  let  our 
priesthood  callings  be  an  eternal  revo- 
lution against  the  norms  of  society  or 
against  any  proposals  that  fall  below 
the  standards  as  set  forth  in  the  gospel 
of  Jesus  Christ  or  as  laid  down  by  the 
Constitution  of  the  United  States  writ- 
ten by  inspired  men,  then  we  will  be  a 
force  in  the  world  that  will  be  "the 
marvelous  work  and  wonder"  which 
the  Lord  said  the  kingdom  of  God  was 
to  be. 

I  pray  that  it  might  be  so,  brethren, 
arid  we  would  thus  magnify,  as  Presi- 
dent Smith  has  said,  our  callings  in  the 
priesthood,  in  the  name  of  the  Lord 
Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  Q 


Winter  Sonnet 
By  Larry  Hiller 

Come,  walk  with  me  in  quiet  ivinter's  wood 
Beneath  the  boughs  of  fir  bent  down  by  snow, 
While  the  leaden  sky  is  in  a  somber  mood 
And  a  muffled  tinkle  marks  a  brooklet's  flow. 

Black  water  swirls  through  high-domed,  glittering  caves, 
Beats  feebly  at  the  ice-bound  rocks,  and  then 
Glides  swift  and  darkly  grim  through  crystal  naves 
And  comes  to  rest  in  icy,  leaf-choked  fen. 

Now  silent  stand  the  firs  with  downy  hood, 
Until  from  far  beloiv  come  farmyard  noises — 
The  sharp,  stacatto  crack  of  ax  on  wood 
That  splits  the  air  and  on  the  hillside  poises — 

Then  falls  in  silver  shards  among  the  firs. 
And  in  the  deepening  darkness  nothing  stirs. 


Era,  December  1970    105 


•  I  come  to  this  pulpit  this  Sabbath 
morning  with  a  new  obligation,  anx- 
ious perhaps  as  never  before  for  the 
sustaining  influence  of  the  Spirit  of 
the  Lord,  for  an  interest  in  your  faith 
and  prayers  for  us  here  and  for  those 
who  shall  be  listening,  as  I  speak  to 
the  parents  of  wayward  and  lost 
children. 

Sometime  ago,  a  father,  worried 
about  a  serious  problem  with  his  son, 
was  heard  to  remark,  "When  he  leaves 
and  we  don't  know  where  he  is,  there's 
pain  in  our  hearts,  but  when  he's  here 
there  are  times  when  he's  a  pain  in 
the  neck."  It's  about  that  pain  in  the 
heart  that  I  want  to  speak.  I  speak  to 
a  very  large  audience,  I  fear. 

Hardly  is  there  a  neighborhood  with- 
out at  least  one  mother  whose  last 
waking,  anxious  thoughts  and  prayers 
are  for  a  son  or  a  daughter  wandering 
who  knows  where.  Nor  is  there  much 
distance  between  homes  where  an 
anxious  father  can  hardly  put  in  a 
day's  work  without  being  drawn  within 
himself  time  after  time,  to  wonder, 
"What  have  we  done  wrong?  What 
can  we  do  to  get  our  child  back?" 

Even  parents  with  the  best  inten- 
tions— some  who  have  really  tried — 
now  know  that  heartache.  Many  par- 
ents have  tried  in  every  way  to  protect 
their  children — only  now  to  find  they 
are  losing  one.  For  the  home  and  the 
family  are  under  attack.  Ponder  these 
words,  if  you  will: 

Profanity 

Nudity 

Immorality 

Divorce 

Pornography 

Addiction 

Violence 

Perversion 


These  words  have  taken  on  a  new 
meaning  in  the  last  few  years,  haven't 
they? 

You  are  within  walking  distance,  at 
least  within  a  few  minutes'  drive,  of  a 
theater  in  your  own  neighborhood. 
There  will  be  shown,  within  the  week, 
a  film  open  to  young  and  old  alike  that 
as  recently  as  ten  years  ago  would  have 
been  banned,  the  film  confiscated,  and 
the  theater  owner  placed  under  indict- 
ment. But  now  it's  there,  and  soon  it 
will  be  seen  at  home  on  your  television 
screens. 

The  apostle  Paul  prophesied  to 
Timothy: 

"This  know  also,  that  in  the  last 
days  perilous  times  shall  come. 

"For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their  own 
selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud,  blas- 
phemers, disobedient  to  parents.  .  .  ." 
(2  Tim.  3:1-2.) 

There  is  more  to  that  scripture,  but 
we  stop  on  that  phrase  "disobedient  to 
parents." 

We  have  no  desire  to  touch  the  sub- 
ject that  causes  you  so  much  pain,  nor 
to  condemn  you  as  a  failure.  But  you 
are  failing,  and  that's  what  makes  it 
hurt.  If  failure  is  to  end,  one  must 
face  squarely  problems  like  this,  how- 
ever much  it  hurts. 

A  few  years  ago  I  was  called  in  the 
wee  hours  of  the  morning  to  the  side 
of  my  ailing  mother,  who  was  hospital- 
ized for  a  series  of  tests. 

"I'm  going  home,"  she  said.  "I'll  not 
continue  with  these  tests.  I  want  you 
to  take  me  home  right  now.  I  won't  go 
through  another  day  of  this." 

"But  mother,"  I  said,  "you  must  go 
through  with  this.  They  have  reason 
to  believe  that  you  have  cancer,  and  if 
it  is  as  they  suppose,  you  have  the 
worst  kind." 


There!  It  had  been  said.  After  all 
the  evading,  all  the  whispered  conver- 
sations. After  all  the  care  never  to  say 
that  word  when  she  was  around.  It 
was  out! 

She  sat  quietly  on  her  bed  for  a  long 
time  and  then  said,  "Well,  if  that's 
what  it  is,  that's  what  it  is,  and  I'll 
fight  it."  Her  Danish  dander  was  up. 
And  fight  it  she  did,  and  winner  she 
was. 

Some  may  suppose  she  lost  her  battle 
to  that  disease,  but  she  came  away  a 
glorious,  successful  winner.  Her  victory 
was  assured  when  she  faced  the  pain- 
ful truth.  Her  courage  began  then. 

Parents,  can  we  first  consider  the 
most  painful  part  of  your  problem?  If 
you  want  to  reclaim  your  son  or 
daughter,  why  don't  you  leave  off  try- 
ing to  alter  your  child  just  for  a  little 
while  and  concentrate  on  yourseli  The 
changes  must  begin  with  you,  not  with 
your  children. 

You  can't  continue  to  do  what  you 
have  been  doing  (even  though  you 
thought  it  was  right)  and  expect  to 
unproduce  some  behavior  in  your  child, 
when  your  conduct  was  one  of  the 
things  that  produced  it. 

There!  It's  been  said!  After  all  the 
evading,  all  the  concern  for  wayward 
children.  After  all  the  blaming  of 
others,  the  care  to  be  gentle  with  par- 
ents. It's  out! 

It's  you,  not  the  child,  that  needs 
immediate  attention. 

Now  parents,  there  is  substantial  help 
for  you  if  you  will  accept  it.  I  add  with 
emphasis  that  the  help  we  propose  is 
not  easy,  for  the  measures  are  equal  to 
the  seriousness  of  your  problem.  There 
is  no  patent  medicine  to  effect  an  im- 
mediate cure. 

And  parents,  if  you  seek  for  a  cure 


106 


that  ignores  faith  and  religious  doc- 
trine, you  look  for  a  cure  where  it  never 
will  be  found.  When  we  talk  of  re- 
ligious principles  and  doctrines  and 
quote  scripture,  interesting,  isn't  it,  how 
many  don't  feel  comfortable  with  talk 
like  that.  But  when  we  talk  about 
your  problems  with  your  family  and 
offer  a  solution,  then  your  interest  is 
intense. 

Know  that  you  can't  talk  about  one 
without  talking  about  the  other,  and 
expect  to  solve  your  problems.  Once 
parents  know  that  there  is  a  God  and 
that  we  are  his  children,  they  can  face 
problems  like  this  and  win. 

If  you  are  helpless,  he  is  not. 

If  you  are  lost,  he  is  not. 

If  you  don't  know  what  to  do  next, 
he  knows. 

It  would  take  a  miracle,  you  say? 
Well,  if  it  takes  a  miracle,  why  not. 

We  urge  you  to  move  first  on  a 
course  of  prevention. 

There  is  a  poem  entitled  "The  Fence 
or  the  Ambulance."  It  tells  of  efforts 
to  provide  an  ambulance  at  the  bottom 
of  a  cliff  and  concludes  with  these 
two  verses: 

"Then  an  old  sage  remarked:  It's  a 
marvel  to  me 

That  people  give  far  more  attention 

To  repairing  results  than  to  stopping 
the  cause 

When  they'd  much  better  aim  at  pre- 
vention. 

Let  us  stop  at  its  source  all  this  mis- 
chief, cried  he, 

Come  neighbors  and  friends,  let  us 
rally; 

If  the  cliff  we  will  fence,  we  might  al- 
most dispense 

With  the  ambulance  down  in  the 
valley. 

"Better  guide  well  the  young  than  re- 
claim them  when  old, 

For  the  voice  of  true  wisdom  is  calling: 

'To  rescue  the  fallen  is  good,  but  'tis 
best 

To  prevent  other  people  from  falling.' 

Better  close  up  the  source  of  temptation 
and  crime,  / 

Than  deliver  from  dungeon  or  galley; 

Better  put  a  strong  fence  round  the  top 
of  the  cliff, 

Than  an  ambulance  down  in  the 
valley." 

— Joseph  Malins 

We  prevent  physical  disease  by  im- 
munization. This  heart  pain  you  are 
suffering  perhaps  might  likewise  have 
been  prevented  with  very  simple  meas- 
ures at  one  time.  Fortunately  the  very 
steps  necessary  for  prevention  are  the 
ones  that  will  produce  the  healing.  In 
other  words,  prevention  is  the  best 
cure,  even  in  advanced  cases. 

Now  I  would  like  to  show  you  a  very 


Era,  December  1970    107 


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13  CHOICE  BOOKS  BY 

JOSEPH    FIELDING   SMITH: 

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practical  and  a  very  powerful  place  to 
begin,  both  to  protect  your  children 
and,  in  the  case  of  one  you  are  losing, 
to  redeem  him. 

I  have  in  my  hands  the  publicatio'n 
Family  Home  Evenings.  It  is  the 
seventh  in  a  series  and  is  available 
across  the  world  in  17  languages.  If 
you  would  go  through  it  with  me,  you 
would  find  that  this  one  is  based  on 
the  New  Testament.  The  theme  is  free 
agency.  While  it  draws  lessons  from 
New  Testament  days,  it  does  not  con- 
tent itself  with  them  back  then  and 
there.  It  leaps  across  the  centuries  and 
concerns  itself  with  you,  and  here  and 
now. 

It  is  well  illustrated,  much  of  it  in 
full  color,  and  has  many  meaningful 
activities  for  families  with  children  of 
any  age. 

Here  (page  35),  for  instance,  is  a 
crossword  puzzle.  And  here  (page  20) 
on  this  colorful  page  is  a  game.  Cut  it 
out  and  make  a  spinner  of  cardboard, 
and  the  whole  family  can  play.  You'll 
find  yourselves,  depending  on  the 
moves  you  make,  somewhere  between 
"Heavenly  Treasures"  and  "Earthly 
Pleasures." 

Here  is  a  lesson  entitled  "How  Our 
Family  Came  to  Be"  (page  51).  ".  .  . 
tell  your  children,"  it  suggests,  "how 
you  met,  fell  in  love,  and  married.  Be 
sure  both  parents  participate,  and  illus- 
trate your  story  with  pictures  and  me- 
mentoes you  have  saved — the  wedding 
dress,  the  announcements;  wedding- 
pictures.  It  might  be  a  good  idea  to 
tape  your  narrative  and  keep  it  for 
your  children  to  play  to  their  children 
some  day." 

Let  me  list  some  of  the  other  titles: 
"Our  Family  Government,"  "Learning 
to  Worship,"  "Speaking  Words  of  Pur- 
ity," "Family  Finances,"  "Parenthood, 
a  Sacred  Opportunity,"  "Respect  for 
Authority,"  "The  Value  of  Humor," 
"So  You're  Going  to  Move,"  "When  the 
Unexpected  Happens,"  "The  Birth  and 
Infancy  of  the  Savior." 

Here  is  one  entitled  "A  Call  to  Be 
Free."  That's  the  siren  call  your  child 
is  following,  you  know.  This  lesson 
includes  a  page  of  very  official-looking 
colored  certificates  with  instructions  to 
"choose  for  each  family  member  some 
activity  he  has  not  learned  to  do;  then 
give  each  member  a  certificate  .  .  . 
signed  by  the  father:  This  certificate 
gives  the  owner  permission  to  play  a 
tune  on  the  piano  as  a  part  of  family 
home  evening.'  "  (Of  course,  the  child 
has  never  had  piano  lessons.) 

Other  certificates  may  include  (de- 
pending on  the  age  of  the  child)  "walk- 
ing on  one's  hands,  speaking  in  a 
foreign  language,  or  painting  an  oil 
portrait."    Then  as  each  member  says 


108 


he  cannot  do  the  thing  permitted,  talk 
about  why  he  is  not  free  to  do  the  thing 
he  is  permitted  to  do.  The  discussion 
will  reveal  that  "each  person  must 
learn  the  laws  that  govern  the  de- 
velopment of  an  ability  and  then  learn 
to  obey  those  laws.  Thus  obedience 
leads  to  freedom." 

Here,  under  special  helps  for  families 
with  small  children,  it  suggests  they 
put  toy  cars  on  the  table  top  and  feel 
free  to  run  them  anywhere  they  want 
and  in  any  manner  they  like.  Even 
little  minds  can  see  the  results  of  this. 

There  is  much  more  to  this  lesson 
and  to  all  of  these  special  lessons — 
subtle,  powerful  magnets  that  help  to 
draw  your  child  closer  to  the  family 
circle. 

This  program  is  designed  for  a  fam- 
ily meeting  to  be  held  once  a  week. 
In  the  Church,  Monday  night  has  been 
designated  and  set  aside,  Churchwide, 
for  families  to  be  at  home  together. 
Instruction  has  recently  gone  out,  from 
which  I  quote: 

"Those  responsible  for  priesthood 
and  auxiliary  programs,  including 
temple  activities,  youth  athletic  activi- 
ties, student  activities,  etc.,  should  take 
notice  of  this  decision  in  order  that 
Monday  night  will  be  uniformly  ob- 
served throughout  the  Church  and  the 
families  be  left  free  from  Church  ac- 
tivities so  that  they  can  meet  together 
in  the  family  home  evening."  (Priest- 
hood Bulletin,  September  1970.) 

With  this  program  comes  the  promise 
from  the  prophets,  the  living  prophets, 
that  if  parents  will  gather  their  chil- 
dren about  them  once  a  week  and 
teach  the  gospel,  those  children  in  such 
families  will  not  go  astray. 

Some  of  you  outside  the  Church, 
and  unfortunately  many  within,  hope 
that  you  could  take  a  manual  like  this 
without  accepting  fully  the  gospel  of 
Jesus  Christ,  the  responsibilities  of 
Church  membership,  and  the  scriptures 
upon  which  it  is  based.  You  are  per- 
mitted to  do  that.  (We  could  even  give 
you  a  "certificate"  to  permit  you  to 
raise  an  ideal  family.)  You  still  would 
not  be  free  to  do  so  without  obeying 
the  laws.  To  take  a  program  like  this 
without  the  gospel  would  have  you  act 
as  one  who  obtained  a  needle  to  im- 
munize a  child  against  a  fatal  disease 
but  rejected  the  serum  to  go  in  it  that 
could  save  him. 

Parents,  it  is  past  time  for  you  to  as- 
sume spiritual  leadership  of  your  fam- 
ily. If  there  is  no  substance  to  your 
present  belief,  then  have  the  courage 
to  seek  the  truth. 

There  is,  living  now,  the  finest  gen- 
eration of  youth  that  ever  walked  the 
earth.  You  have  seen  some  of  them 
serving  on  missions.   Perhaps  you  have 


turned  them  away.  You  ought  to  seek 
them  out.  If  they  are  nothing  else,  they 
are  adequate  evidence  that  youth  can 
live  in  honor.  And  there  are  tens  of 
thousands  of  them  who  are  literal 
saints — Latter-day  Saints. 

Now  parents,  I  desire  to  inspire  you 
with  hope.  You  who  have  heartache, 
you  must  never  give  up.  No  matter 
how  dark  it  gets  or  no  matter  how  far 
away  or  how  far  down  your  son  or 
daughter  has  fallen,  you  must  never 
give  up.   Never,  never,  never. 

I  desire  to  inspire  you  with  hope. 


"Soft  as  the  voice  of  an  angel,  whisper- 
ing a  message  unheard, 

Hope  with  a  gentle  persuasion  whispers 
her  comforting  word. 

Wait  till  the  darkness  is  over,  wait  till 
the  coming  of  dawn. 

Hope  for  the  sunshine  tomorrow,  after 
the  shower  is  gone. 

Whispering  hope,  Oh  how  welcome 
thy  voice.  .  .  ." 

God  bless  you  heartbroken  parents. 
There  is  no  pain  so  piercing  as  that 
caused  by  the  loss  of  a  child,  nor  joy 


so  exquisite  as  the  joy  at  his  redemp- 
tion. 

I  come  to  you  now  as  one  of  the 
Twelve,  each  ordained  as  a  special 
witness.  I  affirm  to  you  that  I  have 
that  witness.  I  know  that  God  lives, 
that  Jesus  is  the  Christ.  I  know  that 
though  the  world  "seeth  him  not, 
neither  knoweth  him,"  that  he  lives. 
Heartbroken  parents,  lay  claim  upon 
his  promise:  "I  will  not  leave  you 
comfortless;  I  will  come  to  you."  (John 
14:17-18.)  In  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  Q 


•  My  dear  brothers  and  sisters,  I  seek 
an  interest  in  your  faith  and  prayers, 
that  I  might  say  something  this  morn- 
ing that  will  have  lodging  in  the  hearts 
of  boys  and  parents  and  leaders. 

"Upon  you  my  fellow  servants,  in 
the  name  of  Messiah  I  confer  the 
Priesthood  of  Aaron,  which  holds  the 
keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels,  and 
of  the  gospel  of  repentance,  and  of 
baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remission 
of  sins;  and  this  shall  never  be  taken 
again  from  the  earth,  until  the  sons  of 
Levi  do  offer  again  an  offering  unto 
the  Lord  in  righteousness."  (D&C  13.) 

This  historic  event  took  place  on 
May  15,  1829.  It  was  an  answer  to  the 
prayer  of  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  respecting  baptism  for  the 
remission  of  sins,  which  was  mentioned 
in  the  Book  of  Mormon.  The  heavenly 
being  who  performed  this  ordinance 
introduced  himself  as  John,  the  same 
who  is  called  John  the  Baptist  in  the 
New  Testament.  It  was  he  who,  in 
the  River  Jordan  over  1,800  years  be- 
fore, baptized  the  Savior,  the  Son  of 
God. 

He  further  stated  to  Joseph  and 
Oliver  that  he  acted  under  the  direc- 


tion of  Peter,  James,  and  John,  who 
held  the  keys  of  the  Melchizedek 
Priesthood.  John  the  Baptist  held  the 
keys  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  which 
is  known  also  as  the  lesser  priesthood, 
being  an  appendage  or  preparatory 
priesthood  to  the  higher  or  Melchizedek 
Priesthood. 

Today  in  the  Church  approximately 
360,000  boys  and  men  bear  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood.  They  outnumber  by  sev- 
eral thousand  those  who  hold  the  Mel- 
chizedek Priesthood.  An  analysis  of 
these  figures,  which  I  shall  not  go  into 
here,  points  up  the  urgency  of  the 
proper  training  and  preparation  of  boys 
and  men  of  the  Church  to  assume  the 
responsibility  of  leadership  that  will 
fall  upon  their  shoulders  as  they  ma- 
ture in  the  gospel.  The  Lord  has  made 
it  very  clear  that  this  preparation  for 
leadership  is  the  responsibility  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood. 

This,  then,  my  brothers  and  sisters, 
is  the  subject  about  which  I  wish  to 
speak  today — the  Aaronic  Priesthood. 
John  the  Baptist,  in  conferring  this 
priesthood  on  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery,  told  in  part  what  it  is:  "I 
confer  the  Priesthood  of  Aaron,  which 


holds  the  keys  of  ministering  of  angels, 
and  of  the  gospel  of  repentance,  and  of 
baptism  by  immersion  for  the  remis- 
sion of  sins." 

The  priesthood  is  the  authority  and 
power  to  act  in  the  name  of  God  in 
accomplishing  his  work  in  righteous- 
ness. The  Aaronic  Priesthood  has 
power  in  administering  outward  ordi- 
nances. Someone  said,  "It  is  the  power 
to  make  things  happen." 

The  power  of  the  priesthood  makes 
it  possible  for  a  young  man  to  fulfill 
the  commitment  he  made  with  the 
Savior  before  coming  to  this  earth, 
which  commitment  was  to  help  build 
the  kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth  in 
a  most  significant  and  authoritative 
way. 

Many  of  our  young  men  understand 
in  great  depth  their  responsibilities  as 
holders  of  the  priesthood  and  are  living 
lives  that  bring  honor  to  it.  Of  course, 
there  are  those  who  do  not  take  advan- 
tage of  these  blessings.  I  am  convinced 
the  reason  for  this  lack  of  interest,  or 
casual  attitude,  is  largely  due  to  a  lack 
of  understanding.  Perhaps  the  experi- 
ence of  the  late  Elder  James  E. 
Talmage,  one  of  the  great  men  of  the 


Era,  December  1970    109 


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Church,  who  was  recognized  by  the 
world  for  his  keen  intellect,  will  shed 
some  light  on  what  the  Aaronic  Priest- 
hood can  mean  in  the  life  of  a  boy. 

"I  was  called  and  ordained  one 
Sunday  morning,  without  any  previous 
notice;  and  that  afternoon  was  placed 
as  a  sentinel  at  the  door  of  the  house 
in  which  the  Saints  had  met  for  wor- 
ship. As  soon  as  I  had  been  ordained, 
a  feeling  came  to  me  such  as  I  have 
never  been  able  to  fully  describe.  It 
seemed  scarcely  possible,  that  I,  a  little 
boy,  could  be  so  honored  of  God  to  be 
called  to  the  priesthood.  I  had  read  of 
the  sons  of  Aaron  and  of  Levi  who  were 
chosen  for  the  sacred  labors  of  the 
Lesser  Priesthood,  but  that  I  should  be 
called  to  do  part  of  the  service  that 
had  been  required  of  them  was  more 
than  my  little  mind  could  grasp.  I 
was  both  frightened  and  happy.  Then, 
when  I  was  placed  on  duty  at  the  door, 
I  forgot  that  I  was  but  an  eleven-year- 
old  lad;  I  felt  strong  in  the  thought 
that  I  belonged  to  the  Lord,  and  that 
he  would  assist  me  in  whatever  was 
required  of  me.  I  could  not  resist  the 
conviction  that  other  sentinels,  stronger 
by  far  than  I,  stood  by  me  though  in- 
visible to  human  eyes. 

"The  effect  of  my  ordination  to  the 
deaconship  entered  into  all  the  affairs 
of  my  boyish  life.  I  am  afraid  that 
sometimes  I  forgot  what  I  was,  but  I 
have  ever  been  thankful  that  oft-times 
I  did  remember,  and  the  recollection 
always  served  to  make  me  better.  When 
at  play  on  the  school  grounds,  and 
perhaps  tempted  to  take  unfair  advan- 
tage in  the  game,  when  in  the  midst  of 
a  dispute  with  a  playmate,  I  would 
remember,  and  the  thought  would  be 
as  effective  as  though  spoken  aloud — 
7  am  a  deacon;  and  it  is  not  right  that 
a  deacon  should  act  in  this  way.'  On 
examination  days,  when  it  seemed  easy 
for  me  to  copy  some  other  boy's  work 
or  to  'crib'  from  the  book,  I  would 
remember  again — 'I  am  a  deacon,  and 
must  be  honest  and  true.'  When  I  saw 
other  boys  cheating  in  play  or  in 
school,  I  would  say  in  my  mind,  Tt 
would  be  more  wicked  for  me  to  do 
that  than  it  is  for  them,  because  I  am 
a  deacon.' 

"Nothing  that  was  required  of  me 
in  the  duties  of  my  office  was  irksome; 
the  sense  of  the  great  honor  of  my 
ordination  made  all  service  welcome. 
I  was  the  only  deacon  in  the  branch, 
and  had  abundant  opportunity  to  work. 

"The  impression  made  upon  my 
mind  when  I  was  made  a  deacon  has 
never  faded.  The  feeling  that  I  was 
called  to  the  special  service  of  the  Lord, 
as  a  bearer  of  the  priesthood,  has  been 
a  source  of  strength  to  me  through  the 
years.  When  later  I  was  ordained  to 
higher  offices  in  the  Church,  the  same 


110 


assurance  has  come  to  me,  on  every 
such  occasion — that  I  was  in  truth 
endowed  with  power  from  heaven,  and 
that  the  Lord  demanded  of  me  that  I 
honor  his  authority.  I  have  heen  or- 
dained in  turn  a  teacher,  an  elder,  a 
high  priest,  and  lastly  an  apostle  of 
the  Lord  Jesus  Christ,  and  with  every 
ordination  there  has  come  to  me  a  new 
and  soul-thrilling  feeling  which  first 
I  knew  when  I  was  called  to  be  a  dea- 
con in  the  service  of  the  Lord."  (Course 
of  study  for  the  quorums  of  the  priest- 
hood: Deacons,  1914,  pp.  135-36. 
Italics  added.) 

Brother  Talmage  was  a  boy  in  Eng- 
land at  the  time  of  his  ordination.  The 
reason  he  was  placed  as  a  sentinel  at 
the  door  was  to  warn  the  members  of 
the  approach  of  their  enemies,  for  there 
was  much  persecution  of  the  Church 
in  that  area.  Imagine,  a  newly  ordained 
deacon  being  given  this  responsibility! 

There  are  two  observations  I  would 
like  to  make  from  Brother  Talmage's 
account  of  this  experience.  First,  he 
was  given  something  worthwhile  to  do 
by  his  leaders.  They  exhibited  faith  in 
him.  He  immediately  became  involved. 
Second,  and  even  more  important,  he 
recognized  that  even  though  still  a 
young  boy,  he  had  the  authority  and 
power  to  perform  the  task  given  him 
because  he  held  the  priesthood.  This 
recognition  replaced  fear  with  courage. 
I  believe  he  actually  experienced  the 
ministering  of  angels. 

There  is  every  reason  that  our  young 
men  today  can  have  the  same  spiritual 
experience,  giving  them  a  feeling  of 
worth  and  destiny,  as  felt  by  Elder 
Talmage. 

The  society  in  which  we  live  has 
many  divergent  viewpoints  about  life; 
and  because  we  have  been  given  our 
free  agency  to  choose  for  ourselves,  it 
is  vitally  important  that  we  carefully 
evaluate  all  aspects  of  life  before  mak- 
ing our  choices.  In  this  process  of 
evaluation,  it  is  not  uncommon  for  us, 
particularly  in  our  younger  years,  to 
look  to  someone  we  admire  as  our  ideal 
or  our  hero.  It  might  be  a  parent,  an 
athlete,  a  leader  in  the  community,  etc. 
I  suggest  to  the  young  men  of  the 
Aaronic  Priesthood,  yes,  to  all  young 
men  everywhere,  that  the  greatest  hero, 
if  you  will,  who  has  ever  lived  is  the 
Savior  of  mankind,  Jesus  Christ.  I  also 
suggest  that  his  life  and  teachings  are 
just  as  relevant  today  as  at  any  time 
in  history. 

It  is  particularly  important  that 
young  men  holding  his  priesthood  be- 
come intimately  acquainted  with  him 
in  order  to  know  and  to  understand 
him.  Unfortunately,  artists  and  others 
have  pictured  him  as  effeminate,  soft, 
and  sad.  If  we  analyze  his  life  at  all, 
we  see  a  person  who  was  masculine, 


strong,  vigorous,  interested  in  all  that 
was  going  on  about  him,  surely  loving 
and  kind,  but  at  the  same  time  one 
who  could  exhibit  righteous  anger.  If 
this  were  not  true,  how  could  he  have 
caused  rough  fishermen  to  follow  him 
with  just  one  sentence:  "Follow  me, 
and  I  will  make  you  fishers  of  men"? 
(Matt.  4:19.)  He  spent  his  youth  and 
young  adulthood  as  a  carpenter,  a  trade 
requiring  strength  and  skill.  Would 
he  have  dared  drive  the  money 
changers  from  the  temple  had  he  not 
been  a  man  of  great  strength  and  cour- 
age? It  takes  a  man  of  unusual  warmth 
to  attract  throngs  of  little  children  as 
the  Savior  did.  No  other  man  has  lived 
whose  influence  has  been  so  profound 
in  directing  the  course  of  human  be- 
havior. 

As  the  young  men  of  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood  become  better  acquainted 
with  the  life  and  teachings  of  the 
Savior,  and  as  they  emulate  these 
teachings,  new  purpose  and  direction 
will  come  into  their  lives.  They  will 
find  that  the  Savior  was  concerned 
with  many  of  the  same  complex  prob- 
lems that  exist  today;  for  example, 
hypocrisy,  one  of  today's  most  serious 
problems.  Of  all  the  weaknesses  of 
men,  this  one  was  most  strongly  de- 
nounced by  the  Savior.  He  said:  "But 
woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Pharisees, 
hypocrites!  for  ye  shut  up  the  kingdom 
of  heaven  against  men:  for  ye  neither 
go  in  yourselves,  neither  suffer  ye  them 
that  are  entering  to  go  in. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, hypocrites!  for  ye  devour  widows' 
houses,  and  for  a  pretence  make  long 
prayer:  therefore  ye  shall  receive  the 
greater  damnation. 

"Woe  unto  you,  scribes  and  Phari- 
sees, hypocrites!  for  ye  pay  tithe  of  mint 
and  anise  and  cummin,  and  have 
omitted  the  weightier  matters  of  the 
law,  judgment,  mercy,  and  faith:  these 
ought  ye  to  have  done,  and  not  to 
leave  the  other  undone."  (Matt.  23:13- 
14,  23.) 

It  took  a  man  of  great  courage  and 
vitality  to  speak  and  act  as  Jesus  did. 
At  the  same  time,  all  that  he  said  and 
did  was  tempered  by  love,  compassion, 
and  charity. 

As  he  hung  on  the  cross  suffering  the 
agony  of  cruel  torture,  he  said,  "Father, 
forgive  them;  for  they  know  not  what 
they  do."  (Luke  23:34.) 

In  today's  world  of  confusion  and 
conflict,  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  stand  alone  as  the  certain 
solution  to  man's  problems.  No  greater 
opportunity  or  blessing  can  come  into 
the  life  of  a  young  man  than  to  be 
called  and  ordained  to  the  Aaronic 
Priesthood,  thus  being  authorized  to 
act  for  him  who  gave  his  life  on 
Calvary. 


Era,  December  1970     111 


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The  Aaronic  Priesthood  is  not  a 
make-work  activity  designed  to  keep 
young  men  busy  and  out  of  trouble.  It 
is  a  segment  of  the  government  of  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  the  earth.  Those 
holding  it  are  empowered  to  perform 
the  duties  that  will  aid  the  Lord  in 
accomplishing  his  work  and  his  glory, 
which  he  said  was  "to  bring  to  pass  the 
immortality  and  eternal  life  of  man." 
(Moses  1:39.) 

No  greater  nor  more  important  as- 
signment can  come  to  a  boy  or  a  man 
than  this.  President  Wilford  Wood- 
ruff,  a  prophet  of  God,  supports  this 


assessment  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood: 
"...  I  went  out  as  a  Priest,  and  my 
companion  as  an  Elder,  and  we  trav- 
eled thousands  of  miles,  and  had  many 
things  manifested  to  us.  I  desire  to 
impress  upon  you  the  fact  that  it  does 
not  make  any  difference  whether  a 
man  is  a  Priest  or  an  Apostle,  if  he 
magnifies  his  calling.  A  Priest  holds 
the  keys  of  the  ministering  of  angels. 
Never  in  my  life,  as  an  Apostle,  as  a 
Seventy,  or  as  an  Elder,  have  I  ever 
had  more  of  the  protection  of  the  Lord 
than  while  holding  the  office  of 
Priest."  (Wilford  Woodruff,  in  Millen- 


nial Star,  October  5,   1891,  p.  629.) 

I  bear  my  humble  witness  to  all  who 
hear  my  voice  this  day,  that  John  the 
Baptist  actually  and  literally  did  ap- 
pear to  Joseph  Smith  and  Oliver 
Cowdery  and  conferred  upon  them  the 
keys  of  the  Aaronic  Priesthood.  If  par- 
ents, leaders,  and  holders  of  this 
priesthood  will  recognize  it  for  what 
it  truly  is,  and  if  our  young  men  will 
make  themselves  acquainted  with  him 
who  stands  at  the  head  and  emulate 
his  life,  a  mighty  and  great  generation 
of'leaders  will  come  forth.  In  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.   Amen.  O 


:: 


■ 


■■::,.. 


Our  Belief  in  Christ 


President  Bruce  R.  McConkie 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 


•  I  desire  very  much  to  be  directed  by 
the  Spirit,  because  I  know  that  when  a 
man  speaks  by  the  power  of  the  Holy 
Ghost,  that  holy  being  carries  the  word 
of  truth  into  the  heart  of  every  recep- 
tive soul. 

We  are  servants  of  the  Lord,  and  he 
has  sent  us  into  the  world  to  say  to 
every  creature:  "God  has  a  message  for 
you,"  and  then  to  deliver  that  message 
in  his  name. 

The  message  he  has  given  us  to  pro- 
claim in  the  ears  of  all  who  dwell 
upon  the  earth  is  the  gospel  of  the 
Lord  Jesus  Christ.  It  is  the  plan  of 
salvation.  It  is  that  Christ  hath  abol- 
ished death  and  brought  life  and  im- 
mortality to  light  through  the  gospel.  It 
is  a  message  of  peace  in  this  life  and 
eternal  life  in  the  world  to  come. 

This  message  comprises  the  most 
sobering  and  glorious  truths  of  which 
the  human  mind  can  conceive.  It  is  a 
voice  of  joy  and  gladness  and  thanks- 
giving; of  glory  and  honor;  of  immor- 
tality and  eternal  life.  And  it  is 
destined  to  make  of  this  earth,  a  heav- 
en; and  of  man,  a  god. 

Known  to  the  apostles  and  prophets 


of  old,  this  glorious  message  was  first 
revealed  in  modern  times  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  and  has  since 
been  planted  in  the  hearts  of  all  the 
true  servants  of  the  Lord  by  the  revela- 
tion of  Jesus  Christ. 

And  so  now,  obedient  to  the  divine 
command,  we  proclaim  the  saving 
truths  of  the  gospel,  not  in  the  spirit 
of  contention  or  debate,  but  by  way  of 
announcement,  of  exhortation,  and  of 
testimony. 

We  are  bold  to  say  that  there  is  a 
God  in  heaven,  an  infinite  and  holy 
being  who  is  our  Eternal  Father  and 
whose  offspring  we  are  in  the  spirit; 
that  he  ordained  the  plan  of  salva- 
tion whereby  we,  his  spirit  children, 
might  advance  and  progress  and  be- 
come like  him;  that  he  chose  his  First- 
born in  the  spirit  to  be  the  Savior  and 
Redeemer  in  his  great  plan  of  salva- 
tion; and  that  ever  thereafter,  to  honor 
its  chief  advocate  and  exponent,  this 
plan  of  salvation  has  been  known  as 
the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ. 

We  testify  that  according  to  the 
terms  and  conditions  of  God's  eternal 
plan,  salvation  is  in  Christ.   He  is  the 


Lamb  slain  from  the  foundation  of  the 
world  whose  blood  atoneth  for  the  sins 
of  all  those  who  believe  in  his  name. 

In  the  words  of  a  holy  angel  who 
ministered  to  a  Book  of  Mormon 
prophet:  ".  .  .  there  shall  be  no  other 
name  given  nor  any  other  way  nor 
means  whereby  salvation  can  come 
unto  the  children  of  men,  only  in 
and  through  the  name  of  Christ,  the 
Lord  Omnipotent."  (Mosiah  3:17.) 

Also:  ".  .  .  salvation  was,  and  is,  and 
is  to  come,  in  and  through  the  atoning 
blood  of  Christ,  the  Lord  Omnipotent." 
(Mosiah  3:18.) 

In  pleading  with  men  to  believe  in 
Christ  and  be  reconciled  to  God  so  as 
to  gain  a  remission  of  their  sins,  Nephi 
said:  ".  .  .  we  talk  of  Christ,  we  rejoice 
in  Christ,  we  preach  of  Christ,  we 
prophesy  of  Christ,  .  .  .  [for]  the  right 
way  is  to  believe  in  Christ,  and  deny 
him  not;  and  Christ  is  the  Holy  One 
of  Israel;  wherefore  ye  must  bow  down 
before  him,  and  worship  him  with  all 
your  might,  mind,  and  strength,  and 
your  whole  soul;  and  if  ye  do  this  ye 
shall  in  nowise  be  cast  out."  (2  Ne. 
25:26,  29.) 


112 


Thus  we  are  bold  to  extol  his  holy 
name,  to  proclaim  that  he  is  the  Lord 
Jehovah,  the  Great  I  Am,  the  Creator  of 
heaven  and  earth  and  all  things  which 
in  them  are.  And  thus  we  testify  that 
he  is  the  God  of  Israel,  the  promised 
Messiah,  the  Only  Begotten,  the  Son 
of  God. 

Our  proclamation  is  that  he  came 
into  the  world  to  ransom  men  from  the 
temporal  and  spiritual  death  brought 
upon  them  through  the  fall  of  Adam; 
that  he  was  born  of  Mary,  inheriting 
from  her  the  power  of  mortality,  which 
is  the  power  to  die;  that  he  is  literally 
the  Son  of  God,  in  the  same  sense  in 
which  all  men  are  the  offspring  of 
mortal  fathers;  and  that  he  inherited 
from  his  Father  the  power  of  immor- 
tality, which  is  the  power  to  live. 

We  know  that  because  he  is  the 
Only  Begotten  in  the  flesh,  he  was  able 
to  work  out  the  infinite  and  eternal 
atonement,  whereby  all  men  are  raised 
in  immortality,  which  is  redemption 
from  the  temporal  fall,  while  those 
who  believe  and  obey  his  laws  are 
raised  also  unto  eternal  life,  which  is 
redemption  from  the  spiritual  fall. 

Now  we  join  with  Peter  and  Paul 
and  his  servants  of  old  in  announcing 
that  he  is  risen;  that  he  broke  the  bands 
of  death  and  gained  the  victory  over 
the  grave — which  thing  they  knew  be- 
cause they  saw  him  after  the  resurrec- 
tion, ate  with  him,  felt  the  nail  marks 
in  his  hands  and  feet,  and  thrust  their 
hands  into  the  spear  wound  in  his 
side;  and  which  thing  we  know  because 
he  has  returned  to  earth  in  our  day, 
manifesting  himself  anew  to  modern 
prophets,  and  because  the  Holy  Spirit 
of  God  bears  witness  to  us  that  he  is 
the  risen  Lord. 

We  accept  without  reservation  the 
testimony  of  the  ancient  prophets  that 
after  their  day  there  would  be  a  falling 
away  from  the  faith  once  delivered  to 
the  saints;  as  also  their  prophecies  that 
God,  by  angelic  ministration,  would 
restore  the  everlasting  gospel  in  the 
last  days  and  gather  scattered  Israel  to 
its  standard. 

And  we  now  add  to  their  testimony 
our  witness  that  God  has  in  these  last 
days  restored  those  truths  by  obedience 
to  which  salvation  may  be  won. 

We  are  one  with  the  ancients  in  our 
belief  in  Christ.  We  accept  him  as  the 
Son  of  God,  as  the  Savior  and  Re- 
deemer of  the  world.  We  are  grateful 
that  he  has  seen  fit  to  add  to  the  canon 
of  holy  scripture,  revealing  anew,  with 
a  plainness  and  perfection  which  sur- 
pass the  record  of  old,  those  things 
which  men  must  do  to  be  justified 
through  faith  in  him  and  to  work  out 
their  salvation  with  fear  and  trembling 
before  him. 

We  believe  the  witness  born  by  the 


Era,  December  1970    113 


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Lord's  servants  of  old  and  gain  great 
satisfaction  from  studying  and  ponder- 
ing in  our  hearts  the  doctrines  they 
taught  and  the  testimonies  they  bore 
as  these  are  recorded  in  the  Bible. 

But  the  fire  of  testimony  which 
burns  in  our  hearts  was  not  lighted  at 
ancient  altars,  nor  is  the  knowledge 
we  have  of  the  doctrines  of  salvation 
based  solely  upon  the  partial  and 
fragmentary  accounts  of  what  God  re- 
vealed to  men  in  ancient  days. 

The  ancient  saints  had  the  gospel, 
which  is  the  power  that  saves  men,  and 
they  recorded  many  of  its  truths  in 
their  scriptures.  The  world  today  has 
the  record  of  part  of  what  the  saints 
of  old  possessed. 

But  thanks  be  to  God,  we  have  the 
gospel,  with  all  its  saving  power,  re- 
stored again.  God  has  given  us  the 
same  doctrines,  the  same  keys,  and  also 
the  same  powers  possessed  by  those  of 
old.  All  these  things  have  been  dis- 
pensed anew  in  this  final,  glorious 
gospel  dispensation. 

I  shall  call  your  attention  to  three 
heavenly  visions  which  are  part  of  this 
restoration  of  the  gospel: 

First:  In  the  spring  of  1820,  Joseph 
Smith  sought  wisdom  from  God.  In  the 
providences  of  the  Lord,  he  then  re- 
ceived one  of  the  most  marvelous 
visions  of  all  time,  which  he  recorded 
in  these  words: 


"...  I  saw  a  pillar  of  light  exactly 
over  my  head,  above  the  brightness  of 
the  sun,  which  descended  gradually 
until  it  fell  upon  me. 

".  .  .  I  saw  two  Personages,  whose 
brightness  and  glory  defy  all  descrip- 
tion, standing  above  me  in  the  air. 
One  of  them  spake  unto  me,  calling 
me  by  name  and  said,  pointing  to  the 
other — This  is  My  Beloved  Son.  Hear 
Him!"  (Joseph  Smith  2:16-17.) 

Second:  Nearly  twelve  years  later, 
Joseph  Smith  and  Sidney  Rigdon  "be- 
held the  glory  of  the  Son,  on  the  right 
hand  of  the  Father,"  together  with  a 
great  concourse  of  "holy  angels,"  and 
recorded  their  testimony  in  these 
words: 

"And  now,  after  the  many  testi- 
monies which  have  been  given  of  him, 
this  is  the  testimony,  last  of  all,  which 
we  give  of  him:  That  he  lives! 

"For  we  saw  him,  even  on  the  right 
hand  of  God;  and  we  heard  the  voice 
bearing  record  that  he  is  the  Only 
Begotten  of  the  Father."  (D&C  76:20- 
23.) 

Third:  In  April  1836,  Joseph  Smith 
and  Oliver  Cowdery  saw  the  Lord  of 
heaven,  of  which  this  is  the  scriptural 
account: 

"The  veil  was  taken  from  our  minds, 
and  the  eyes  of  our  understanding 
were  opened. 

"We  saw  the  Lord  standing  upon 


the  breastwork  of  the  pulpit,  before  us; 
and  under  his  feet  was  a  paved  work 
of  pure  gold,  in  color  like  amber. 

"His  eyes  were  as  a  flame  of  fire; 
the  hair  of  his  head  was  white  like  the 
pure  snow;  his  countenance  shone 
above  the  brightness  of  the  sun;  and 
his  voice  was  as  the  sound  of  the  rush- 
ing of  great  waters,  even  the  voice  of 
Jehovah,  saying: 

"I  am  the  first  and  the  last;  I  am 
he  who  liveth,  I  am  he  who  was  slain; 
I  am  your  advocate  with  the  Father." 
(D&C  110:1-4.) 

Now,  as  servants  of  the  Lord,  we  an- 
nounce and  testify  that  these  three 
visions  were  as  real  and  true  as  any 
ever  received  by  any  prophet  in  any 
age. 

There  is  no  room  for  contention  or 
debate.  We  are  not  quoting  the  Bible 
to  prove  what  happened  any  more  than 
Peter  turned  to  the  writings  of  Isaiah 
to  prove  he  had  felt  the  nail  marks  in 
the  hands  and  feet  of  the  risen  Lord. 
We  are  saying  with  words  of  soberness 
that  men  in  our  day  have  heard  the 
voice  of  God  and  seen  the  visions  of 
eternity,  and  that  the  power  of  God 
whereby  salvation  comes  is  once  more 
held  by  living  apostles  and  prophets. 

And  all  men  everywhere  have  exactly 
the  same  obligation  to  heed  and  be- 
lieve our  testimony  as  men  had  in 
former  days  to  accept  the  witness  of 
the  prophets  of  old. 

The  issue  in  Peter's  day  was:  Did 
Christ  rise  from  the  dead?  If  so,  he 
was  the  Son  of  God,  and  the  religion  of 
the  ancient  saints  had  saving  power. 
To  prove  their  message,  the  Lord's 
ancient  servants  reasoned  out  of  the 
scriptures  and  bore  testimony  of  what 
they  knew  by  personal  revelation. 

The  issue  today  is:  Was  Joseph 
Smith  called  of  God?  If  so,  the  religion 
of  the  Latter-day  Saints  has  saving 
power.  And  to  prove  our  message,  like 
our  brethren  of  old,  we  reason  out  of 
the  scriptures  and  bear  testimony  of 
what  we  know  by  personal  revelation. 

And  so  we  testify  that  the  Holy 
Ghost  certifies  to  us  that  Jesus  Christ 
is  the  Son  of  the  living  God;  that 
Joseph  Smith  is  the  great  latter-day 
prophet  through  whom  the  knowledge 
of  Christ  and  of  salvation  was  restored; 
and  that  this  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of 
Latter-day  Saints  is  in  very  deed  the 
kingdom  of  God  on  earth,  the  one 
place  where  men  may  come  to  find 
peace  in  this  life  and  become  inheritors 
of  eternal  glory  in  the  life  to  come. 

We  are  servants  of  the  Lord,  and  he 
has  commanded  us  to  proclaim  his 
gospel  message  to  all  men.  And  of  that 
message  we  now  testify  that  as  our 
Lord  and  our  God  liveth,  it  is  true.  In 
the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  o 


114 


•  We  live  in  an  interesting  period  of 
the  history  of  mankind.  The  slow  pace 
of  man's  progress  from  the  beginning 
gradually  commenced  to  accelerate  and 
gain  speed.  Today  we  find  advance- 
ment moving  at  such  increased  mo- 
mentum that  we  are  often  frightened 
by  the, thoughts  of  the  future.  Man 
takes  pride  in  the  rapid  strides  of  sci- 
ence that  have  created  conveniences  for 
his  everyday  living.  His  health  has 
been  improved  by  the  progress  of  medi- 
cine, and  his  life-span  has  been  ex- 
tended. Sweeping  reforms  in  many 
areas  of  society  have  enhanced  his 
well-being.  Business  and  industry  are 
moving  forward  at  a  pace  never  before 
known,  and  this  generation  has  the 
highest  standard  of  living  ever  enjoyed 
by  man.  We  are  proud  to  be  living  in 
a  modern  world  of  achievement. 

Will  all  of  this  spiraling  progress  be 
good  for  man  in  the  years  that  lie 
ahead?  Will  it  be  beneficial  in  every 
respect  to  our  children  and  grand- 
children? We  would  agree,  no  doubt, 
that  many  things  give  us  concern. 
What  of  the  future  of  the  family  and 
home  life,  which  in  past  generations 
have  been  great  stabilizing  forces  in 
society?  What  of  the  solidarity  of 
community  and  national  life?  What  of 
the  future  of  our  economy,  as  the  con- 
sequence of  inflation  and  increased 
debt?  What  of  the  modern  course  of 
deterioration  of  morality  and  its  effect 
upon  individuals,  families,  nations,  and 
the  world?  We  are  forced  to  admit 
that  what  we  term  as  progress  brings 
with  it  many  consequences  of  serious 
concern. 

We    are    entering    into,    or    going 


through,  a  period  of  history  in  which 
so-called  modern  thought  is  taking 
precedence  in  the  minds  of  many  per- 
sons who  classify  themselves  as  advo- 
cates of  a  modern  generation.  The 
more  extreme  of  these  lean  toward 
free  thinking  and  free  action  without 
assuming  the  responsibility  men  owe 
to  fellowmen.  Where  will  we  be  led 
if  we  follow  those  who  advocate  free- 
dom of  use  of  drugs  and  freedom  of 
morality?  What  will  be  the  result  of 
universal  free  love,  abortions  at  will, 
homosexuality,  or  legalized  pornog- 
raphy? 

What  of  spiritual  values  and  the  re- 
ligious ideals  of  past  generations, 
which  have  been  the  great  stabilizing 
influence  on  society?  Modern  thinkers 
claim  these  have  been  the  great  deter- 
rents to  man  in  the  freedoms  he  now 
seeks.  There  is  a  great  effort  on  the 
part  of  so-called  modernists  to  change 
religious  beliefs  and  teachings  of  the 
past  to  conform  to  modern  thought  and 
critical  research.  They  de-emphasize 
the  teachings  of  the  Bible  by  modern 
critical  methods  and  deny  that  scrip- 
ture is  inspired.  The  modernist  teaches 
that  Christ  is  not  the  Son  of  God.  He 
denies  the  doctrine  of  the  atoning  sac- 
rifice by  which  all  men  may  be  saved. 
He  denies  the  fact  of  the  resurrection  of 
the  Savior  of  the  world  and  relegates 
him  to  the  status  of  a  teacher  of  ethics. 
Where,  then,  is  hope?  What  has  be- 
come of  faith? 

The  Old  Testament  unfolds  the 
story  of  the  creation  of  the  earth  and 
man  by  God.  Should  we  now  disre- 
gard this  account  and  modernize  the 
creation   according  to  the   theories  of 


the  modernists?  Can  we  say  there  was 
no  Garden  of  Eden  or  an  Adam  and 
Eve?  Because  modernists  now  declare 
the  story  of  the  flood  is  unreasonable 
and  impossible,  should  we  disbelieve 
the  account  of  Noah  and  the  flood  as 
related  in  the  Old  Testament? 

Let  us  examine  what  the  Master  said 
when  the  disciples  came  to  him  as  he 
sat  on  the  Mount  of  Olives.  They 
asked  him  to  tell  them  of  the  time  of 
his  coming  and  of  the  end  of  the 
world.  Jesus  answered:  "But  of  that 
day  and  hour  knoweth  no  man,  no,  not 
the  angels  of  heaven,  but  my  Father 
only. 

"But  as  the  days  of  Noe  were,  so 
shall  also  the  coming  of  the  Son  of 
man  be. 

"For  as  in  the  days  that  were  before 
the  flood  they  were  eating  and  drink- 
ing, marrying  and  giving  in  marriage, 
until  the  day  that  Noe  entered  into  the 
ark, 

"And  knew  not  until  the  flood  came, 
and  took  them  all  away;  so  shall  also 
the  coming  of  the  Son  of  man  be." 
(Matt.  24:36-39.) 

In  this  statement  the  Master  con- 
firmed the  story  of  the  flood  without 
modernizing  it.  Can  we  accept  some  of 
the  statements  of  the  Lord  as  being 
true  and  at  the  same  time  reject  others 
as  being  false? 

When  Martha  heard  that  Jesus  was 
coming,  she  went  out  to  meet  him 
and  they  discussed  the  matter  of  the 
death  of  her  brother  and  the  resurrec- 
tion. "Jesus  said  unto  her,  I  am  the 
resurrection,  and  the  life:  he  that  be- 
lieveth  in  me,  though  he  were  dead, 
yet  shall  he  live."  (John  11:25.) 


Era,  December  1970    115 


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Both  of  these  statements,  the  one  re- 
garding Noah  and  the  fact  of  the  flood 
and  the  one  in  which  he  declared  him- 
self to  be  the  resurrection  and  the  life, 
were  made  by  the  Lord.  How  can  we 
believe  one  and  not  the  other?  How 
can  we  modernize  the  story  of  the 
flood  or  refer  to  it  as  a  myth  and  yet 
cling  to  the  truth  of  the  other?  How 
can  we  modernize  the  Bible  and  have 
it  be  a  guiding  light  to  us  and  a  vital 
influence  in  our  beliefs? 

There  are  those  who  declare  it  is 
old-fashioned  to  believe  in  the  Bible. 
Is  it  old-fashioned  to  believe  in  God, 
in  Jesus  Christ,  the  Son  of  the  Living 
God?  Is  it  old-fashioned  to  believe  in 
his  atoning  sacrifice  and  the  resurrec- 
tion? If  it  is,  I  declare  myself  to  be 
old-fashioned  and  the  Church  is  old- 
fashioned.  In  great  simplicity  the 
Master  taught  the  principles  of  life 
eternal  and  lessons  that  bring  happi- 
ness to  those  with  the  faith  to  believe. 
It  doesn't  seem  reasonable  to  assume 
the  necessity  of  modernizing  these 
teachings  of  the  Master.  His  message 
concerned  principles  that  are  eternal. 
Following  these  principles,  millions  of 
persons  have  found  rich  religious  ex- 
periences in  their  lives.  People  of 
today's  world  are  seeking  a  meaningful 
purpose  in  life,  and  thousands  are 
seeking  a  religious  experience  that  is 
meaningful.  Can  such  an  experience 
be  found  in  meditation  only,  or  by  a 
seance?  Can  a  meaningful  experience 
be  found  in  trips  with  drugs  or  in  love- 
ins?  Such  an  attempt  is  to  go  through 
the  back,  the  side  door,  or  over  the 
wall,  not  through  the  way  pointed  out 
by  the  Lord. 

When  the  Lord  spoke  to  the  Phari- 
sees at  the  Feast  of  the  Tabernacles, 
he  used  these  words:  "Verily,  verily,  I 
say  unto  you,  He  that  entereth  not  by 
the  door  into  the  sheepfold,  but  climb- 
eth  up  some  other  way,  the  same  is  a 
thief  and  a  robber. 

"Then  said  Jesus  unto  them  again, 
Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  I  am  the 
door  of  the  sheep."  (John  10:1,  7.) 

A  meaningful  religious  experience 
can  come  in  no  other  way  than  by  that 
door,  through  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 

There  have  always  been  those  who 
wanted  a  sign  before  they  would  be- 
lieve. During  his  ministry  the  Master 
was  asked  on  many  occasions  for  a 
sign. 

"The  Pharisees  also  with  the  Saddu- 
cees  came,  and  tempting  desired  him 
that  he  would  shew  them  a  sign  from 
heaven. 

"He  answered  and  said  unto  them, 
When  it  is  evening,  ye  say,  It  will  be 
fair  weather:  for  the  sky  is  red. 

"And  in  the  morning,  It  will  be  foul 
weather  to  day:  for  the  sky  is  red  and 
lowring.    O  ye  hypocrites,  ye  can  dis- 


116 


cern  the  face  of  the  sky;  but  can  ye 
not  discern  the  signs  of  the  times? 

"A  wicked  and  adulterous  genera- 
tion seeketh  after  a  sign.  .  .  ."  (Matt. 
16:1-4.) 

Perhaps  it  was  with  them,  as  with 
many  today,  truth  is  not  recognized  as 
truth  unless  accompanied  by  the  sen- 
sational. What  would  have  been  ac- 
complished had  the  Lord  called  down 
thunder  and  lightning,  or  plucked  a 
star  from  the  sky,  or  divided  the  water 
to  satisfy  the  curiosity  of  men?  They 
would  probably  have  said  it  was  the 
work  of  the  devil,  or  their  eyes  deceived 
them. 

Signs  are  evident  to  the  faithful. 
Sick  persons  are  healed;  prayers  are  an- 
swered; changes  are  wrought  in  the 
lives  of  those  who  believe,  accept,  and 
live  the  commandments.  We  prove 
Christ  by  living  the  principles  of  his 
gospel.  He  made  great  promises  of 
blessings  to  those  who  live  the  com- 
mandments: "I,  the  Lord,  am  bound 
when  ye  do  what  I  say;  but  when  ye 
'  do  not  what  I  say,  ye  have  no  promise." 
(D&C  82:10.)  Many  of  the  command- 
ments are  restrictive,  but  reason  dictates 
they  are  for  man's  good.  In  addition  to 
the  restrictive  commandments  are  the 
positive  admonitions.  The  two  great 
imperatives  are  to  love  God  and  love 
one's  fellowmen. 

"Thou  shalt  love  the  Lord  thy  God 
with  all  thy  heart,  and  with  all  thy 
soul,  and  with  all  thy  mind. 

"This  is  the  first  and  great  com- 
mandment. 


"And  the  second  is  like  unto  it,  Thou 
shalt  love  thy  neighbour  as  thyself. 

"On  these  two  commandments  hang 
all  the  law  and  the  prophets."  (Matt. 
22:37-40.) 

What  greater  laws  could  be  given 
to  bring  peace,  prosperity,  and  progress 
to  man  if  he  will  faithfully  live  the 
commandments  to  love? 

In  this  time  of  rapid  change,  we 
can  maintain  an  equilibrium  if  we  pre- 
serve a  belief  in  God  and  a  love  for 
him,  but  we  cannot  love  God  unless 
we  love  his  children  also.  These  are 
our  neighbors,  and  true  love  of  them 
knows  no  class  or  culture,  race,  color, 
or  creed. 

The  members  of  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  open 
their  arms  to  neighbors  everywhere. 
The  restored  Church  of  Christ  as- 
sumes its  charge  and  responsibility  to 
take  the  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  in  love 
to  its  neighbors  over  the  world  and 
endeavors  to  help  those  who  receive 
the  gospel  to  live  the  teachings  of  the 
Master. 

In  this  world  of  confusion  and  rush- 
ing, temporal  progress,  we  need  to 
return  to  the  simplicity  of  Christ.  We 
need  to  love,  honor,  and  worship  him. 
To  acquire  spirituality  and  have  its 
influence  in  our  lives,  we  cannot  be- 
come confused  and  misdirected  by  the 
twisted  teachings  of  the  modernist.  We 
need  to  study  the  simple  fundamentals 
of  the  truths  taught  by  the  Master  and 
eliminate  the  controversial.  Our  faith 
in  God  needs  to  be  real  and  not  specu- 


lative. The  restored  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ  can  be  a  dynamic,  moving  in- 
fluence, and  true  acceptance  gives  us 
a  meaningful,  religious  experience.  One 
of  the  great  strengths  of  the  Mormon 
religion  is  this  translation  of  belief 
into  daily  thinking  and  conduct.  This 
replaces  turmoil  and  confusion  with 
peace  and  tranquility. 

The  Church  stands  firmly  against 
relaxation  or  change  in  moral  issues 
and  opposes  the  so-called  new  morality. 
Spiritual  values  cannot  be  set  aside, 
notwithstanding  modernists  who  would 
tear  them  down.  We  can  be  modern 
without  giving  way  to  the  influence  of 
the  modernist.  If  it  is  old-fashioned  to 
believe  in  the  Bible,  we  should  thank 
God  for  the  privilege  of  being  old- 
fashioned. 

Permit  me  to  conclude  with  my  per- 
sonal conviction  and  testimony.  I  know 
God  lives,  the  same  God  described  in 
the  Old  and  the  New  Testaments.  I 
know  Jesus  Christ  is  his  Son.  He  gave 
his  life  in  the  great  atoning  sacrifice 
whereby  he  became  my  Savior,  your 
Savior,  and  the  Savior  of  all  mankind. 
I  also  know  there  is  a  prophet  of  God 
on  the  earth  today  who  speaks  the 
mind  and  will  of  the  Lord  to  his  chil- 
dren in  the  same  manner  that  prophets 
have  spoken  to  God's  children  in  all 
ages  of  the  past.  May  the  Lord  give 
us  the  capacity  to  understand  his 
teachings  and  the  strength  to  follow 
with  conviction  and  steadfastness,  I 
pray  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  In  recent  months  the  plight  of  the 
American  Indians  has  been  brought  to 
public  attention  in  a  most  impressive 
manner. 

As  a  result,  further  steps  will  be 
taken  to  improve  the  lot  of  these 
people,  who  are  among  the  most  ne- 


glected of  all   the  minorities  on  this 
continent. 

We  are  thankful  that  the  Latter-day 
Saints  have  taken  an  active  part  over 
the  years  in  providing  extensive  aid  to 
them.  Particularly  have  we  given  assis- 
tance in  the  educational  field.  This  year 


daily  seminary  classes  are  being  pro- 
vided for  more  than  15,000  Indian 
students,  and  through  the  efforts  of  the 
Church  an  additional  5,000  are  receiv- 
ing full-time  elementary  and  high 
school  education  at  no  cost  to  them- 
selves. 


Era,  December  1970    117 


We  also  provide  a  college  program 
for  many  of  our  Indians,  of  whom  475 
are  enrolled  this  year  at  Brigham 
Young  University;  426  took  college 
work  there  last  year. 

Brigham  Young  University  has  con- 
ferred B.A.  degrees  upon  85  Indian  stu- 
dents recently,  and  20  have  received 
masters  or  doctors  degrees.  More  than 
a  score  are  now  enrolled  in  graduate 
school  there. 

Brigham  Young  University  also  has 
an  Institute  of  American  Indian  Re- 
search and  Services,  and  through  it 
supervises  more  than  thirty  agricultural 
projects  for  Indians  in  the  Western 
America. 

Ecclesiastical  training  is  likewise  be- 
ing provided  for  more  than  35,000  In- 
dians who  are  members  of  our  church. 

They  are  bright  and  adaptable  and 
are  proud  of  their  ancestral  heritage, 
for  they  know  they  are  descended  from 
a  great  people. 

Recently  we  attended  a  gathering  of 
Mexican  residents  of  Salt  Lake  City 
and  heard  them  express  great  pride  in 
their  Indian  ancestry,  and  well  they 
may,  for  the  more  we  learn  about  the 
early  inhabitants  of  Mexico,  the  more 
we  realize  that  indeed  they  were  truly 
a  great  race. 

This  conclusion  was  reached  also 
by  Dr.  Alfred  V.  Kidder,  one  of  the 


The  Marvels  of  Copan,  the  historian 
Munoz  wrote:  "Architecture,  astron- 
omy, mathematics,  painting,  weaving 
and  all  the  arts  that  embellish  life, 
once  flourished  here." 

He  emphasized  that  the  forefathers 
of  the  Indians  were  not  savages  in  any 
sense,  for  no  savage,  he  said,  ever  con- 
ceived of  the  wonders  which  were 
commonly  known  among  the  Mayans. 

Dr.  Wissler,  on  page  147  of  his  book 
on  Mayan  civilization,  explains  that  the 
Mayans  manufactured  paper  through 
a  process  similar  to  that  of  the  Egyp- 
tians in  making  writing  materials  from 
papyrus. 

The  American  Heritage  Book  of  In- 
dians, on  page  19,  says: 

"The  Mayans  attained  the  highest 
civilization  known  in  ancient  America 
and  one  of  the  highest  known  any 
place  in  the  early  world." 

These  people  had  a  well-developed 
irrigation  system.  They  built  dams  and 
aqueducts.  They  terraced  hillsides, 
turning  them  into  productive  farm 
lands  by  the  use  of  irrigation.  These 
water  systems  were  in  general  use  2,000 
years  before  the  Spaniards  came,  and 
some  of  them  still  exist. 

The  early  Americans  were  a  numer- 
ous people.  About  the  time  of  the  con- 
quest there  were  25  million  in  Central 
Mexico  alone. 


leading  authorities  on  Mayan  culture. 
In  his  book  A  Guide  to  Quirigua,  this 
eminent  scholar  said: 

"The  great  cities  of  the  old  Mayan 
Empire  were  built  during  the  first  part 
of  the  Christian  era.  For  nearly  600 
years  these  gifted  people  were  leaders 
in  art  and  architecture,  mathematics 
and  astronomy.  They  evolved  a  cal- 
endar in  some  ways  more  accurate  than 
ours.  .  .  .  The  growth  of  the  Indian 
civilizations,  although  differing  in  de-, 
tail,  was  strikingly  like  that  of  our  own, 
which  originated  in  Egypt  and  Meso- 
potamia. .  .  .  Social  and  economic 
systems  were  organized,  cities  grew,  re- 
ligion developed,  and  temples  were 
built  for  worship." 

Writing  in  a  similar  vein,  in  his  book 


But  more  impressive  than  any  of 
these  facts  about  the  early  Americans 
is  their  account  of  a  visitation  among 
their  ancestors  nearly  2,000  years  ago, 
of  a  divine  personage  who  remained 
among  them  for  many  days,  teaching 
and  blessing  them. 

These  highly  intelligent  and  skillful 
early  Americans  affirmed  that  this  per- 
sonage taught  them  a  divine  religion, 
healed  their  sick,  raised  some  of  the 
dead,  taught  new  and  more  productive 
agricultural  methods,  and  established 
a  government  of  equity  and  peace. 

Their  accounts  say  that  he  came 
among  them  suddenly  and  left  equally 
so,  in  a  supernatural  manner.  The 
ancients  regarded  him  as  the  Creator, 
come  to  earth  in  bodily  form. 


That  he  was  a  Christian  divinity 
none  can  successfully  deny. 

That  his  teachings  were  akin  to  the 
Bible  is  now  readily  admitted. 

And  that  he  promised  to  return  in  a 
second  coming  is  also  an  acknowledged 
fact. 

The  account  of  his  appearance  was 
preserved  through  generations  of  In- 
dians from  Chile  to  Alaska,  and  inter- 
estingly enough,  it  is  likewise  well 
known  among  the  Polynesians  from 
Hawaii  to  New  Zealand,  giving  one 
more  evidence  of  the  close  relationship 
between  the  Polynesians  and  the  early 
inhabitants  of  the  Americas. 

In  the  main  all  such  accounts  agree. 
They  differ  in  name  and  minor  details 
from  island  to  island  and  from  country 
to  country,  but  the  overall  conclusion 
is  the  same — there  was  a  visitation  by  a 
heavenly  being  among  those  people 
nearly  2,000  years  ago. 

Of  such  veracity  is  the  information 
now  available  concerning  him  that 
Paul  Herrmann  was  induced  to  say  in 
his  book  The  Conquest  of  Man: 

"Carefully  considered  this  leaves  no 
conclusion  open  than  that  the  Light 
God  Quetzalcoatl  was  a  real  person, 
that  he  was  neither  the  invention  of 
Spanish  propaganda  nor  a  legendary 
figment  of  Indian  imagination."  (Page 
72.) 

Keep  in  mind  that  this  comes  from 
the  highly  intelligent  early  Americans 
who  knew  astronomy,  mathematics,  ir- 
rigation, and  architecture.  It  was  not 
the  dream  of  an  ignorant  or  super- 
stitious people.  It  was  history  from  one 
of  the  highest  civilizations  known 
among  ancient  men. 

This  great  being  was  known  as 
Quetzalcoatl  in  parts  of  Mexico,  pri- 
marily in  the  Cholula  area.  He  was 
Votan  in  Chiapas  and  Wixepechocha 
in  Oaxaca;  Gucumatz  in  Guatemala; 
Virachocha  and  Hyustus  in  Peru; 
Sume  in  Brazil,  and  Bochica  in 
Colombia. 

To  the  Peruvians  he  was  also  known 
as  Con-tici  or  Illa-tici,  tici  meaning 
both  creator  and  light.  To  the  Mayans 
he  was  principally  known  as  Kukulcan. 

In  the  Polynesian  islands  he  was 
known  as  Lono,  Kana,  Kane,  or  Kon, 
and  sometimes  as  Kanaloa,  meaning 
the  great  light  or  great  brightness.  He 
was  also  known  among  some  Poly- 
nesians as  Kane-Akea,  the  great  pro- 
genitor, or  as  Tonga-roa,  the  god  of  the 
ocean  sun. 

What  did  he  look  like,  this  divine 
personage? 

He  was  described  by  the  ancients  as 
a  tall  white  man,  bearded,  and  having 
blue  eyes.  He  wore  loose,  flowing  robes. 
He  seemed  to  be  a  person  of  great  au- 
thority and  unmeasured  kindness.  He 
had  power  to  make  hills  into  plains  and 


118 


plains  into  high  mountains.  He  could 
bring  fountains  of  water  from  the  solid 
rock. 

One  of  the  remarkable  things  about 
his  coming  was  that  he  appeared  after 
several  days  of  dense  darkness  during 
which  the  people  had  prayed  constantly 
for  a  return  of  the  sun.  While  the 
darkness  yet  prevailed — and  I  refer  to 
the  book  The  Incas,  by  Pedro  de  Leon 
— the  people  suffered  great  hardships 
and  offered  earnest  prayers  to  God, 
seeking  a  return  of  the  light  that  had 
failed. 

When  at  last  the  sun  did  shine,  this 
divinity  appeared.  Says  Pedro  de  Leon: 
He  was  a  "white  man  of  large  stature 
whose  air  and  Person  aroused  great 
respect  and  veneration.  .  .  .  And  when 
they  saw  his  power  they  called  him 
the  Maker  of  all  things;  their  Begin- 
ner; the  Father  of  the  sun."  (The 
Incas.) 

This  personage,  as  he  taught  his  re- 
ligion, urged  the  people  to  build  tem- 
ples for  worship,  and  his  followers 
became  very  devout.  (Pierre  Honore, 
In  Quest  of  the  White  God.)  As  he 
left  them,  he  promised  to  come  again, 
which  caused  the  natives  for  many 
generations  to  look  for  his  return  even 
as  the  Jews  look  for  their  promised 
Messiah. 

This  faith  led  to  disaster  on  two 
occasions,  however,  when  the  Spaniards 
came  to  America  and  when  Captain 
Cook  sailed  to  the  Hawaiian  Islands. 
But  these  tragedies  served  only  to  rein- 
force the  truth  of  the  tradition. 

When  Cortez  came  to  Mexico  and 
the  coastal  natives  saw  him,  they  ob- 
served that  he  was  a  large  white  man. 
They  hurried  to  their  king,  Monte- 
zuma, and  announced  that  the  Great 
White  God  had  finally  returned. 

This  had  a  striking  effect  upon 
Montezuma.  He  remembered  that 
when  he  was  crowned  as  emperor,  the 
priests  of  the  native  religion  reminded 
him:  "This  is  not  your  throne;  it  is 
only  lent  to  you  and  will  one  day  be 
returned  to  the  Great  One  to  whom 
it  is  due."  (Honore,  p.  '66.) 

The  Spanish  author  Duran,  in  his 
book  The  Aztecs,  says  that  when 
Montezuma  sent  his  faithful  servant  to 
greet  Cortez  and  lead  him  to  the  palace, 
the  servant  addressed  Cortez  as  "O 
Lord  and  True  God,"  and  added,  "wel- 
come to  this  your  country  and  king- 
dom." Duran  further  says  that  the 
Indians  considered  Cortez'  companions 
as  divine  beings  also. 

This  Spanish  author  then  continues: 

"There  is  no  doubt  that  Montezuma 
was  greatly  preoccupied  with  the  re- 
turn of  Quetzalcoatl  who  had  left  the 
Vera  Cruz  coast  and  had  promised  to 
return. 

"Montezuma   and   the   other   digni- 


taries of  his  kingdom  were  totally  con- 
vinced that  Cortez  and  Quetzalcoatl 
were  one  and  the  same,  as  can  be  seen 
in  the  chronicles.  .  .  . 

"As  late  as  1864  when  the  blond 
bearded  Emperor  Maximilian  arrived 
in  Vera  Cruz,  reminiscences  lingered 
in  the  minds  of  the  Indians  which  re- 
minded them  of  the  promise  of  the 
return  of  Quetzalcoatl." 

Montezuma  accepted  Cortez  as 
though  he  were  Deity,  but  the  treach- 
ery of  the  Spaniards  and  his  men  soon 
soon  changed  that,  and  warfare  re- 
sulted. Poor,  trusting  Montezuma  lost 
both  his  throne  and  his  life,  but  the 
tradition  remained. 

A  similar  situation  occurred  when 
Captain  James  Cook,  the  British  ex- 
plorer, came  to  Hawaii.  Peculiarly 
enough,  he  landed  there  when  the  na- 
tives were  celebrating  their  Makahiki 
Festival,  which  kept  alive  the  tradition 
of  the  White  God  among  the  Poly- 
nesians. Cook  also  was  received  as 
Deity  and  taken  to  the  sacred  temple 
of  Lono.  But  his  men  were  far  less 
than  angelic,  and  their  depredations 
brought  down  the  wrath  of  the  natives 
upon  the  entire  landing  party.  In  the 
battle  which  ensued,  Cook  lost  his 
life. 

But  in  reality,  who  was  the  Great 
White  God?  It  was  not  Captain  Cook, 
and  certainly  it  was  not  Cortez.  Who 
was  he? 

When  Jesus  Christ  ministered  in 
Palestine,  he  told  the  people  there, 
as  is  recorded  in  the  tenth  chapter  of 
the  Gospel  of  John,  that  he  had  other 
sheep,  not  of  the  fold  of  Palestine,  but 
elsewhere.  ".  .  .  them  also  I  must 
bring,"  he  said,  "and  they  shall  hear 
my  voice;  and  there  shall  be  one  fold, 
and  one  shepherd."  (John  10:16.) 

Jesus  of  Nazareth  was  this  White 
God  I  After  his  resurrection  in  the  Holy 
Land  he  did  in  reality  visit  the  early 
Americans.   How  do  we  know? 

In  the  western  hemisphere,  as  in 
ancient  Palestine,  prophets  ministered 
among  the  people,  giving  them  inspired 
direction.  As  did  the  prophets  in  the 
Holy  Land,  they  also  compiled  records 
of  all  important  events. 

They  had  predicted  the  coming  of 
Christ  among  them,  and  the  people 
fully  expected  him. 

After  the  three  days  of  darkness 
which  had  afflicted  them,  the  people 
were  gathered  about  their  temple  when 
they  heard  a  voice  from  heaven  which 
said: 

"Behold  my  Beloved  Son,  in  whom 
I  am  well  pleased,  in  whom  I  have 
glorified  my  name— hear  ye  him." 

This  caused  them  to  look  into  the 
skies,  and  there  they  saw,  descending 
to  the  earth,  a  glorious  Personage  who 
came  and  stood  before  them.    And  as 


the  ancient  volume  records  it: 

".  .  .  he  was  clothed  in  a  white  robe; 
and  he  came  down  and  stood  in  the 
midst  of  them;  and  the  eyes  of  the 
whole  multitude  were  turned  upon 
him,  and  they  durst  not  open  their 
mouths,  even  one  to  another.  .  .  . 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  he 
stretched  forth  his  hand  and  spake  unto 
the  people,  saying: 

"Behold,  I  am  Jesus  Christ,  whom 
the  prophets  testified  shall  come  into 
the  world. 

"And  behold,  I  am  the  light  and  the 
life  of  the  world;  and  I  have  drunk 
out  of  that  bitter  cup  which  the  Father 
hath  given  me,  and  have  glorified  the 
Father  in  taking  upon  me  the  sins  of 
the  world.  .  .  ." 

Then  the  Savior  said  to  them: 

"Arise  and  come  forth  unto  me,  that 
ye  may  thrust  your  hands  into  my 
side,  and  also  that  ye  may  feel  the 
prints  in  my  hands  and  in  my  feet, 
that  ye  may  know  that  I  am  the  God 
of  Israel,  and  the  God  of  the  whole 
earth,  and  have  been  slain  for  the  sins 
of  the  world. 

"And  it  came  to  pass  that  the  multi- 
tude went  forth,  and  thrust  their  hands 
into  his  side,  and  did  feel  the  prints 
of  the  nails  in  his  hands  and  in  his 
feet;  and  this  they  did  do,  going  forth 
one  by  one  until  they  had  all  gone 
forth,  and  did  see  with  their  eyes  and 
did  feel  with  their  hands,  and  did  know 


"But  in  reality, 

who  was  the  Great 

White  God?" 


of  a  surety  and  did  bear  record,  that 
it  was  he,  of  whom  it  was  written  by 
the  prophets,  that  should  come. 

"And  when  they  had  all  gone  forth 
and  had  witnessed  for  themselves,  they 
did  cry  out  with  one  accord,  saying: 

"Hosannah!  Blessed  be  the  name  of 
the  Most  High  God  I  And  they  did  fall 
down  at  the  feet  of  Jesus,  and  did  wor- 
ship him."  (3  Ne.  11:7-11,  14-17.) 

He  taught  them  his  true  religion, 
healed  their  sick,  blessed  their  chil- 
dren, and  organized  his  church  on  the 
western  hemisphere  as  he  had  done 
in  Palestine. 

This  is  what  gave  rise  to  the  tradi- 
tion of  the  Indians  and  Polynesians. 
And  it  has  lived  until  now,  being 
transmitted  from  generation  to  gen- 
eration. 


Era,  December  1970     119 


But  how  may  we  be  sure  that  it  was 
the  Christ? 

As  we  mention,  the  many  prophets 
who  lived  in  ancient  America  wrote 
their  histories  and  revelations  as  did 
the  prophets,  in  Palestine.  They  made 
many  volumes.  Finally  these  records 
were  abridged  and  compiled  into  one 
by  a  prophet  named  Mormon,  who 
lived  about  400  years  after  Christ,  here 
in  America. 

Because  he  was  the  compiler,  the 
book  was  called  after  him — the  Book 
of  Mormon.  It  was  brought  forth  in  a 
miraculous  manner  in  our  day  and 
identifies  the  Christ  as  the  White  God 
of  ancient  times.  That  book  is  a  vol- 
ume of  scripture  as  is  the  Bible.  In 
the  twenty-ninth  chapter  of  his  writ- 
ings, Isaiah  predicted  that  in  the  latter 
days  this  new  volume  of  scripture 
would  appear,  and  he  describes  its  com- 
ing forth  in  the  manner  in  which  the 


Book  of  Mormon  actually  was  given 
to  the  world.  This  is  not  mere  coinci- 
dence. It  is  a  modern  fulfillment  of 
Bible  prophecy. 

Isaiah  said  it  would  be  a  sealed  book, 
and  it  was. 

He  said  the  words  of  the  book  would 
be  delivered  to  a  learned  man  who 
would  reject  the  record,  and  this  was 
true.  Peculiarly  enough,  and  this  most 
certainly  helps  to  identify  the  book, 
he  said  it  would  pass  through  the 
hands  of  an  unlearned  man  as  it  came 
to  world  attention,  and  this  is  exactly 
what  happened. 

By  way  of  pointing  to  the  time  of  its 
publication,  he  said  the  book  would 
appear  in  the  latter  days  as  Palestine 
became  a  fruitful  field,  and  this  was 
so. 

He  predicted  that  even  the  deaf 
would  hear  the  words  of  the  book,  and 
that  through   it  the  blind  would  see 


out  of  darkness  and  the  meek  among 
men  wpuld  increase  their  joy  in  the 
Lord.   All  of  this  came  to  pass. 

And  while  this  was  taking  place  he 
said  the  Almighty  would  perform  a 
marvelous  work  and  a  wonder  during 
a  period  of  unbelief  in  the  world,  and 
this  too  has  been  accomplished. 

The  Book  of  Mormon  is  the  volume 
to  which  Isaiah  refers.  It  is  scripture, 
the  holy  writ  of  ancient  America,  pub- 
lished now  for  the  enlightenment  of 
modern  men. 

It  is  a  new  witness  to  the  divinity  of 
Christ  and  bears  testimony  that  he  is 
truly  and  in  fact  the  Son  of  God,  the 
Savior  of  the  Christians,  the  Messiah 
of  the  Jews,  the  White  God  of  ancient 
America,  and  the  Redeemer  of  all  man- 
kind. And  this  too  is  our  own  testi- 
mony, and  we  bear  it  to  you  in  the 
sacred  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


•  My  dear  brethren  and  sisters:  As  I 
have  reflected  on  many  of  the  profound 
messages  given  at  this  conference,  a 
passage  of  scripture  kept  reflecting  in 
my  mind.  The  Lord  said  to  the  Prophet 
Joseph  Smith,  ".  .  .  the  hour  is  not  yet, 
but  is  nigh  at  hand,  when  peace  shall 
be  taken  from  the  earth,  and  the  devil 
shall  have  power  over  his  own  domin- 
ion; And  also  the  Lord  shall  have 
power  over  his  saints,  and  shall  reign 
in  their  midst,  and  shall  come  down  in 
judgment  upon  .  .  .  the  world."  (D&C 
1:35-36.)  We  may  be  in  that  time. 
It's  a  great  day  to  be  a  saint,  with  the 
Lord  at  the  head.  There  seems  to  be 
room  on  this  earth  for  both  saints  and 
for  those  who  choose  another  course. 
When  the  Savior  closed  his  ministry 
on  this  earth,  he  left  a  message  in 
closing  that  it  would  be  unto  the  ends 
of  the  earth:  "Go  ye  into  all  the  world, 


and  preach  the  gospel  to  every  crea- 
ture." (Mark  16:15.) 

We  have  just  returned  from  Japan, 
a  marvelous  experience  there,  helping 
supervise  and  direct  the  work  of  the 
Mormon  Pavilion  at  the  World's  Fair. 
We  have  a  great  body  of  Japanese 
people  here  at  this  conference.  They 
are  an  interesting  people.  They  are  a 
great  people.  Many  of  them  are  going 
to  have  patriarchal  blessings  while  they 
are  here.  Those  who  have  had  patri- 
archal blessings  that  I  have  spoken 
with  come  from  the  tribe  of  Joseph,  a 
fruitful  bough. 

Expo  '70  was  the  first  world's  fair  to 
be  staged  in  Asia  and  has  been  ac- 
claimed by  many  to  be  the  most  suc- 
cessful world's  fair  ever  to  be  held. 

Seventy-seven  countries  and  42  do- 
mestic organizations  sponsored  pavilions 
at    the  fair.     There    were    only    two 


religious  pavilions  represented — the 
Christian  ecumenical  pavilion,  spon- 
sored by  the  Catholic  and  Protestant 
churches  of  Japan,  and  the  Mormon 
Pavilion,  representing  The  Church  of 
Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints.  The 
Mormon  Pavilion  was  very  popular  and 
crowded  each  day  from  the  time  the 
fair  was  opened  until  it  closed. 

During  the  six  months  that  the  fair 
was  running,  almost  65  million  people 
attended  the  fair,  and  over  ten  percent 
of  that  65  million  visited  the  Mormon 
Pavilion.  Our  attendance  was  6,658,- 
532 — almost  a  miracle  for  the  small 
pavilion  we  had  to  even  come  close  to 
accommodating  them. 

Many  of  this  number  were  not  able 
to  see  all  of  the  exhibits  because  of  the 
crowds  or  to  hear  the  dialogue  and 
testimonies  of  the  missionaries.  But  out 
of  those  who  were  able  to  follow  the 


120 


missionaries  and  receive  the  full  presen- 
tation, 780,000  signed  the  guest  register 
referral  books,  and  many  of  them  asked 
to  know  more  about  the  doctrines  and 
teachings  of  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints. 

The  main  objectives  of  our  exhibit 
were  to  make  friends  with  these  people, 
teach  them  about  a  living  God  and 
a  living  Jesus  Christ,  and  to  explain 
with  visual  aids  the  Lord's  plan  and 
purpose  of  life. 

Our  most  impressive  exhibit  was  the 
spirit  of  the  dedicated,  loving,  inspired 
missionaries.  The  missionaries  radiated 
a  great  love  for  the  Oriental  people  and 
the  Oriental  people  had  great  respect 
for  the  missionaries.  One  Japanese 
gentleman  said  to  me,  "I  can  hardly 
believe  that  such  fine,  clean  young 
people  would  leave  their  homes,  pay 
their  own  way,  and  learn  a  new  lan- 
guage.  They  must  truly  love  us." 

All  the  missionaries  serving  in  the 
four  missions  in  Japan  will  have  many 
additional  opportunities  to  reach  and 
teach  the  people  as  a  result  of  the  fair. 

Convert  baptisms  have  doubled  in 
Japan  in  the  past  few  months  and  are 
still  increasing.  The  Japanese  mem- 
bers of  the  Church  are  very  dedicated, 
sincere,  loving  people. 

The  country  of  Japan  covers  an  area 
about  the  size  of  the  state  of  California 
and  has  a  population  of  over  101  mil- 
lion people  and  room  for  many  more. 
It  is  a  land  filled  with  religion.  There 
are  106,000  Buddhist  temples  and  over 
100,000  Shinto  shrines.  Less  than  one 
percent  of  the  Japanese  people  are 
members  of  a  Christian  church.  There 
are  about  350,000  who  belong  to  the 
Catholic  Church,  and  400,000  belong 
to  the  various  Protestant  churches,  and 
approximately  12,000  are  members  of 
The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter- 
day  Saints. 

The  Japanese  people  are  seeking  and 
looking  for  better  ways  and  seem  to 
be  looking  for  a  living  God  and  for  a 
greater  purpose  in  both  life  and  death, 
and  many  seem  to  be  receptive  and 
interested  in  the  doctrines  and  teach- 
ings of  Jesus  Christ. 

I  would  like  to  read  from  a  letter 
we  received  from  Dr.  Lorin  F.  Wheel- 
wright, dean  of  the  College  of  Fine 
Arts  and  Communications  at  Brigham 
Young  University.  He  sent  this  letter 
after  his  visit  to  Expo  '70  and  the  Mor- 
mon Pavilion: 

"May  I  share  with  you  the  feelings 
that  sweep  over  me  as  I  contemplate 
my  visit  with  you  and  as  I  witnessed 
the  manner  in  which  our  missionaries 
used  Expo  '70  to  bring  the  gospel  to 
the  Japanese  people.  Never  have  I 
seen  such  crowds  of  people,  curious 
and  eager  to  witness  the  'Progress  of 
Mankind.'  Each  day  I  was  there  more 


than  700,000  thronged  the  fairgrounds. 
They  fascinated  me  more  than  the 
spectacular^  electronic,  space,  and  mo- 
tion-picture extravaganzas  that  awaited 
them.  These  patient  people  would 
queue  up  for  two  to  three  hours  at  each 
of  the  major  pavilions.  I  was  impressed 
by  their  orderliness  and  quiet  deter- 
mination to  see  what  obviously  they 
had  saved  their  yen  to  see. 

"Our  pavilion  stood  as  a  landmark 
of  spirituality  in  a  sea  of  materialism. 
It  is  true  that  many  pavilions  showed 
the  historical  and  present  concern  of 
nations  and  industries  for  man  and  his 
strivings  for  a  better  life.  But  ours  had 
the  unique  contribution  of  inviting  all 
men  and  women  to  'the  peace  that 
passeth  all  understanding.'  With  the 
terrific  crowds  surging  upon  you,  I 
marveled  at  the  calmness  of  our  mis- 
sionaries, the  almost  stark  simplicity  of 
our  exhibit,  the  opportunity  to  sit  down 
and  see  a  film  without  distraction, 
which  told  in  understandable  language 
and  appealing  picture  that  the  quest 
for  happiness  must  be  a  spiritual  quest 
if  ever  man  is  to  find  it. 

"Your  kind  invitation  for  me  to  meet 
two  groups  of  missionaries  gave  me 
insight  regarding  the  real  reason  our 
pavilion  was  different  from  all  others. 
These  young  men  and  women  were 
obviously  serving  beyond  the  call  of 
duty.  They  radiated  the  fire  of  St. 
Paul  and  the  persistence  of  Moses. 
Their  friendly  smiles  and  patient  ex- 
planations must  have  been  a  joy  to 
the  Japanese  who  personify  these  char- 
acteristics so  beautifully.  They  treated 
people  with  courtesy  and  let  the  spirit 
of  their  callings  reach  out  to  touch  the 
spirits  of  those  who  came  to  look  and 
inquire.  When  I  learned  that  after 
each  long  day  they  put  on  their  work 
clothes  and  cleaned  the  building,  I 
knew  that  they  personified  the  bended 
knee  of  reverence  and  work — both  of 
which  the  Savior  said  were  essential 
to  man's  salvation. 

"After  talking  with  you,  I  realized 
anew  that  our  message  to  the  world  is 
not  expressed  in  the  slickness  of  our  ex- 
hibit. Our  appeal  is  in  the  sincerity 
and  truthfulness  of  the  gospel  of  Jesus 
Christ.  It  is  this  power  that  brings 
men  of  all  faiths  to  ask,  'Not  who  is 
right,  but  what  is  right?'  It  is  this 
testimony  which  invites  the  devout 
Protestant,  Catholic,  Buddhist,  or  athe- 
ist to  ponder  his  ultimate  values  and 
open  his  heart  to  the  greater  truth  that 
we  bear  to  the  world.  Although  our 
exhibit  showed  pictures  of  Mormonism 
at  work  in  the  lives  of  our  members, 
I  am  convinced  that  it  was  the  heart 
of  the  message  that  touched  people  and 
the  honesty  of  the  messengers  who 
opened  their  eyes  and  hearts  to  see  and 
feel. 


"I  was  thrilled  that  you  called  these 
missionaries  together  at  the  beginning 
and  closing  of  each  shift  to  share  in 
the  spirit  of  devotion.  Their  prayers 
and  testimonies  touched  me  deeply." 

I  would  like  to  read  a  few  of  the 
many  thousands  of  comments  that  were 
written  by  visitors  to  the  Mormon 
Pavilion: 

One  employee  at  the  fair  said,  "This 
pavilion  is  our  oasis  at  Expo  '70.  The 
theme  of  Expo  is  'Progress  and  Har- 
mony for  Mankind'  and  that  is  'man's 
search  for  happiness.'  I  pay  my  re- 
spects to  your  pavilion  for  giving  us 
the  living  God." 

Another:  "I  think  this  pavilion  gives 
me  a  good  opportunity  to  change  my 
life.   Thanks  for  the  missionaries." 

"The  movie  helped  me  to  know 
about  my  life  and  that  death  is  not 
the  end." 

"The  film  made  birth,  living  and 
death  part  of  'man's  search  for  hap- 
piness.' 

"I  am  not  a  Christian,  but  now  I 
want  to  know  about  Christianity." 

"The  Mormon  Pavilion  is  my  best 
memory  of  Expo.  I  want  to  know 
more." 

"This  pavilion  moved  me  to  think 
about  God.  I  felt  his  spirit  here." 

"The  moving  picture  made  me  re- 
consider my  life  and  my  happiness." 

"I  found  love  and  truth  in  this 
pavilion." 

"I  think  your  religion  is  true." 

"I  want  to  know  about  Joseph  Smith 
and  the  Book  of  Mormon." 

"This  is  the  second  time  I  have 
visited  the  Mormon  Pavilion.  I  want 
to  know  more  about  Jesus  Christ  and 
true  happiness." 

"I  do  not  have  a  religion.  I  have 
found  something  here  to  help  direct  my 
life.  I  want  to  come  again." 

"My  religion  has  not  taught  me 
about  a  living  God.  I  am  looking  for 
God  and  happiness." 

"I  have  thought  that  God  existed 
far  from  us,  but  today  I  felt  God  near 
me.  Thanks  for  this  pavilion." 

"I  am  glad  to  learn  that  man  is  a 
child  of  God.  I  pray  for  the  success 
of  this  pavilion." 

"I  had  no  interest  in  religion  when 
I  came  to  the  fair,  but  I  was  moved  by 
the  spirit  of  the  missionaries." 

"I  felt  comfortable  without  any  re- 
sistance. I  want  to  know  more  about 
your  religion." 

"I  have  always  believed  that  there 
was  a  God,  and  today  I  felt  deeply  his 
power." 

We  had  literally  thousands  and 
thousands  of  comments  comparable 
to  these. 

A  young  lady,  Miss  Reimi  Yoma- 
mota,  who  served  as  secretary  at  the 
pavilion  and  was  not  a  member  when 


Era,  December  1970    121 


she  started  but  later  joined  the  Church, 
made  this  statement  as  we  were  leav- 
ing the  station:  "I  received  the  greatest 
blessing  of  all  the  people  who  came  to 
Expo.  I  received  a  testimony  of  Jesus 
Christ  and  of  his  gospel.  I  know  that 
Joseph  Smith  is  a  prophet  of  God  and 
that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  from  God." 
A  young  man  who  worked  at  the 
Russian  pavilion  came  as  we  were 
closing  and  said,  "I  feel  bad  that 
this  building  is  closing.  I  have  felt 
more  happiness  and  more  religion  and 
more  love  here  than  at  any  other  place 
I  have  been  in  my  life." 


Brothers  and  sisters,  I  must  close. 
You  who  have  a  testimony  of  the 
Lord's  work,  you  who  are  saints,  you 
have  the  answers  the  world  is  looking 
for,  the  world  would  like  to  know 
about  a  living  God.  The  world  would 
like  to  know  that  the  scriptures  of  God 
are  true.  You  have  these  answers. 

Probably  the  greatest  message  that 
has  come  to  this  earth  since  the  resur- 
rection and  the  ascension  of  Jesus 
Christ  is  the  Joseph  Smith  testimony. 
This  was  distributed  extensively  at 
Expo. 

As  the  Japanese  people  come   into 


the  Church,   they   make   great   saints 
when  they  are  converted. 

I  bear  witness  that  Jesus  Christ  is 
the  God  of  all  mankind,  the  God  of 
the  yellow  race,  the  red,  the  black,  and 
the  white  races.  I  bear  witness  that 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  is  the  prophet 
of  all  mankind  on  this  earth,  to  all 
races,  kindreds,  tongues,  and  people; 
and  that  the  only  way  mankind  can 
receive  celestial  glory  is  by  following 
the  prophet  of  God  and  by  accepting 
the  program  of  Jesus  Christ.  I  so  bear 
witness  in  the  name  of  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  q 


•  My  brothers  and  sisters:  It  is  a  choice 
and  wonderful  experience  to  be  called 
to  be  an  Assistant  to  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve,  but  it  is  also  a  very  humbling 
experience.  I  feel  especially  humble 
this  afternoon  as  I  stand  before  you  for 
the  first  time  as  a  General  Authority 
and  contemplate  the  sacredness  and  the 
importance  of  this  great  call.  I  ask  for 
an  interest  in  your  faith  and  prayers, 
not  just  here  today  but  on  a  continuous 
basis,  that  I  might  be  able  to  serve  in 
the  way  the  Lord  would  like  me  to 
serve. 

I  am  grateful  for  this  call  because  I 
love  the  Lord,  and  I  have  found  great 
joy  and  satisfaction  in  being  in  his 
service,  in  helping  to  build  the  kingdom 
of  God  here  upon  the  earth,  and  in  try- 
ing to  serve  my  fellowmen. 

I  know  that  God  lives;  that  Jesus 
Christ  is  his  Son,  the  Redeemer  of  the 
world;  that  Joseph  Smith  was  indeed  a' 
true  prophet  of  God,  through  whom  the 
gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  was  restored  in 
these  the  last  days  and  through  whom 
the  Church  of  Jesus  Christ  was  re- 
established. I  know  that  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  is  a  true  prophet 


of  God,  and  I  sustain  him  and  all  the 
other  brethren  with  all  my  heart. 

How  grateful  I  am  for  this  testimony, 
and  how  grateful  I  am  to  those  who 
helped  me  gain  it  early  in  life,  and  who 
have  helped  me  strengthen  it  with  the 
passage  of  time. 

I  should  like  to  pay  tribute  today  to 
my  ancestors  who  accepted  the  gospel, 
joined  the  Church,  and  gave  me  a  rich 
heritage,  and  to  my  parents  and  broth- 
ers and  sisters,  all  of  whom  taught  me 
the  gospel  by  example.  My  mother  was 
ope  of  the  sweetest  women  who  ever 
lived,  and  my  father  was  truly  a  noble 
man.  It  has  been  said  that  an  honest 
man  is  the  noblest  work  of  God.  That's 
the  kind  of  man  my  father  was.  Those 
of  you  who  knew  him  and  had  dealings 
with  him'  know  that  I  speak  the  truth. 

I  married  rather  late  in  life.  The 
Lord  went  the  extra  mile  with  me  and 
gave  me  a  wonderful  person  to  be  my 
wife  and  blessed  our  home  with  six 
lovely  children.  I  love  them  dearly, 
and  they  are  all  supporting  me  whole- 
heartedly, without  reservations,  in  this 
new  assignment. 

Let  me  take  a  moment  to  share  a 


choice  experience  we  had  together  on 
Father's  Day.  It  happened  in  a  Sunday 
School  service.  I  didn't  know  anything 
about  what  was  planned.  At  the  ap- 
propriate time  the  chorister  asked  my 
family  members  to  come  forward.  Then 
my  wife  and  five  daughters  sang  "We 
Ever  Pray  for  Thee,  Our  Father 
Dear."  They  substituted  the  word 
Father,  in  place  of  the  word  prophet, 
in  the  song  for  this  occasion  and  sang 
it  that  way.  Then  my  only  son  re- 
cited the  poem  "I  Follow  a  Noble 
Father."  My  heart  was  touched  and 
so  were  the  hearts  of  all  others  who 
were  there.  I  am  grateful  for  my  won- 
derful family. 

I  should  like  to  say  thanks  to  all  you 
wonderful  people  in  Alberta,  Canada, 
who  taught  me  in  my  early  youth,  in 
Sunday  School,  Primary,  and  MIA; 
to  my  colleagues  and  students  at  Utah 
State  University;  to  people  throughout 
the  state  of  Utah  with  whom  I  have 
worked  over  the  years;  and  to  President 
Glen  Taggart,  president  of  Utah  State 
University,  who  has  been  very  help- 
ful and  understanding  during  the 
transition  period  between  my  assign- 


122 


ment  at  Utah  State  University  and  my 
assignment  with  the  Church. 

Four  others  to  whom  I  am  deeply 
indebted  are  President  Hugh  B.  Brown, 
who  was  my  stake  president  in  the 
Lethbridge  Stake  when  I  was  a  boy; 
Asael  E.  Palmer,  a  counselor  to  Presi- 
dent Brown  at  that  time,  who  later 
became  president  of  the  Lethbridge 
Stake,  where  he  served  for  many  years; 
my  uncle,  Archibald  F.  Bennett,  one  of 
the  great  teachers  of  the  Church,  who 
lived  about  as  close  to  his  Father  in 
heaven  as  any  man  I  know;  and  my 
Scoutmaster,  Vernon  Bigelow.  These 
men  had  the  ability  to  reach  me  when 
I  lacked  confidence  in  myself  as  a  boy. 
They  helped  me  set  worthwhile  goals 
and  objectives  and  to  gain  a  vision  of 
the  importance  of  the  gospel  in  my  life 
and  in  the  scheme  of  things.  I  just 
want  to  say  I  will  be  eternally  grateful 
to  these  men  for  what  they  did  for  me 
and  are  still  doing. 

Let  me  take  a  moment  to  share  a 
choice  experience  that  I  had  with  Presi- 
dent Brown.  I  have  always  been  in- 
terested in  athletics.  One  day  when 
I  was  about  15  years  of  age,  I  was  tak- 
ing part  in  the  high  jump  in  a  tri-stake 
MIA  track  meet.  We  had  reached  the 
height  where  most  of  the  jumpers  were 
eliminated;  there  were  just  two  of  us 
still  in  there.  I  knocked  the  bar  off 
twice  and  had  one  jump  remaining. 
President  Brown,  who  was  watching 
the  event,  came  over,  put  his  arm  on 
my  shoulder,  and  said,  "Young  man, 
you  can  clear  that  bar;  I  know  you  can. 
I  have  been  watching  you.  You  are 
not  over  the  bar  when  you  are  at  the 
highest  point.  If  you  adjust  your  take- 
off just  a  bit,  you  will  clear  that  bar, 
young  man.  I  know  you  will!" 

Something  happened  to  me  inside. 
It  seemed  as  though  new  strength  had 
come  into  my  body  from  President 
Brown.  I  went  up  to  that  bar  with 
complete  assurance  that  I  could  clear 
it  and  I  did.  I  shall  never  forget  that 
experience. 

In  the  days  of  my  youth  the  Lord 
saw  fit  to  bless  me  with  an  inferiority 
complex.  I  say  "blessed"  because  in 
wrestling  with  this  problem  I  learned 
the  meaning  of  humility.  I  learned 
what  it  meant  to  get  close  to  my  Father 
in  heaven  through  prayer  on  an  almost 
continuous  basis.  I  learned  that  in 
problems  we  find  our  challenges.  In 
those  challenges  lie  opportunities.  If 
we  can  just  identify  those  opportunities 
and  capitalize  on  them,  growth,  prog- 
ress, and  success  will  result.  I  learned 
that  strength  comes  from  facing  up  to 
problems  squarely  and  realistically,  not 
from  disregarding  them  or  avoiding 
them. 

The  world  today  is  beset  by  many 
problems,  and  mention  has  been  made 


of  this  in  various  ways  during  this 
conference.  When  man  unaided  tries 
to  solve  these  problems,  he  frequently 
finds  that  new  problems  arise,  and 
there  is  confusion,  more  confusion,  con- 
tradictions, strife,  and  contention.  Fi- 
nally, man  may  resort  to  war  to  try  to 
solve  his  difficulties.  But  war  does  not 
solve  difficulties.  This  was  brought 
forcibly  to  my  mind  recently  when  I 
was  in  Europe  participating  in  a  semi- 
nar for  mission  presidents  and  their 
wives.  The  seminar  was  held  in  Brus- 
sels, Belgium,  just  a  few  miles  from 
Waterloo,  where  the  forces  of  the  Duke 
of  Wellington  engaged  the  forces  of 
Napoleon  in  a  great  battle,  back  in 
about  1815.  And  it  was  just  a  few 
miles  from  Flanders  Field  and  not  very 
far  from  Dunkirk,  where  other  battles 
and  fighting  took  place  at  different 
times  in  the  history  of  the  world. 

And  now  war  is  with  us  again,  and 
many  people  are  deeply  troubled  and 
confused.  But  I  should  like  to  say  that 
the  great  battles  of  the  world  are 
not  fought  on  the  battlefields.  They  are 
fought  in  the  hearts  and  in  the  minds 
of  men  and  women  everywhere,  as  they 
wrestle  with  their  problems,  try  to  meet 
the  difficulties  and  issues  that  confront 
them,  exercise  their  free  agency,  and 
make  choices.  The  forces  of  evil  and 
the  forces  of  righteousness  are  both  try- 
ing to  influence  the  decisions,  and 
there  is  conflict  in  the  hearts  and  minds 
of  men  everywhere.  If  the  forces  of 
righteousness  triumph  universally,  there 
will  be  love,  harmony,  and  peace  on 
earth.  If  the  forces  of  evil  dominate, 
there  will  be  outward  expressions  that 
lead  to  war  and  destruction. 

The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  can  re- 
solve those  inner  conflicts  and  bring 
inner  peace  and  outer  peace  as  well. 
The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  most 
valuable,  the  most  needed  message  in 
the  world  today.  It  is  the  answer  to  the 
problems  that  grow  out  of  man's 
selfishness  and  greed,  where  such  a 
high  percentage  of  the  problems  arise. 
The  gospel  teaches  us  to  build  rather 
than  to  destroy,  to  help  people  to  give 
of  themselves  in  unselfish  service  to 
others  rather  than  being  on  the  receiv- 
ing end  of  things  most  of  the  time. 

Over  the  years  men  and  women  have 
learned  to  appreciate  the  importance 
of  free  agency.  But  all  too  frequently 
they  overlook  the  fact  that  along  with 
free  agency  there  must  be  responsibility 
and  accountability.  One  has  his  free 
agency  to  determine  what  he  will  do 
and  what  he  will  not  do,  but  he  does 
not  have  his  free  agency  to  determine 
the  consequences,  because  laws  operate. 

The  gospel  teaches  the  importance  of 
obedience  to  law.  President  Lee  re- 
ferred to  that  so  beautifully  this 
morning   when  he   talked   about   the 


astronauts.  Let  me  make  a  further  ap- 
plication. You  will  remember  tha  the 
astronauts  on  one  of  the  missions  had 
an  outward  trip  and  a  return  trip.  On 
the  outward  trip  their  goal  was  the 
moon.  On  the  return  trip  their  goal 
was  the  earth,  their  home  base.  They 
reached  their  goals  both  going  and 
coming  because  they  themselves,  the 
engines  and  the  instruments  under 
their  control,  and  those  at  mission 
control  at  home  base  were  able  to  oper- 
ate in  accordance  with  law. 

Do  you  remember  what  happened 
on  the  Apollo  13  mission  that  Brother 
Lee  referred  to?  As  they  made  their  re- 
turn trip  they  were  almost  home  when 
they  found  out  that  they  were  off  course 
a  bit.  They  had  to  make  a  correction. 
To  do  so,  they  had  to  fire  their  engine. 
If  that  engine  hadn't  fired,  the  cor- 
rection could  not  have  been  made;  they 
would  have  missed  the  earth  by  eighty 
miles,  and  we  wouldn't  have  been  able 
to  bring  them  back.  But  the  engine 
did  fire,  the  correction  was  made,  and 
they  returned  to  earth  safe  and  sound. 

Is  there  not  an  important  lesson  there 

"In  the  days  of  my 

youth  the  Lord  saw  fit 

to  bless  me  with  an 

inferiority  complex" 


for  us?  Is  it  not  true  that  we,  too,  had 
an  outward  trip  when  we  left  our 
Father  in  heaven  in  the  spirit  world 
and  came  to  earth?  Are  we  not  now 
walking  around  on  our  earth,  which 
might  be  likened  to  the  astronaut's 
moon?  And  is  it  not  true  that  whether 
or  not  we  will  be  able  sometime  in 
the  future  to  return  to  our  Father  in 
heaven,  our  home  base,  will  be  de- 
pendent on  our  willingness  and  our 
ability  to  observe  the  laws  and  keep  the 
commandments  that  pertain  thereto? 
And  is  it  not  true  that  the  Lord  has 
provided  us  with  a  way  through  re- 
pentance for  making  a  correction  to 
put  us  back  on  course  when  we  have 
strayed  because  of  sin? 

The  gospel  of  Jesus  Christ  is  the  an- 
swer to  all  problems.  However,  men 
and  women  everywhere  must  be  doers 
of  the  word,  and  not  hearers  only,  if 
they  would  have  peace  within  them- 
selves and  peace  in  the  world  and 
would  find  joy  and  happiness  in  this 
life  and  in  the  life  to  come.  This  is  our 
great  and  important  test.  May  we  be 
equal  to  it,  I  humbly  pray,  in  the  name 
of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  O 


Era,  December  1970    123 


•  I  know  now,  my  brethren  and  sisters, 
what  it  is  to  dig  the  last  fence-post 
hole.  Being  one  of  the  last  speakers 
at  this  conference  has  prompted  my 
mind  in  the  reflection  of  some  other 
last  things,  and  I  thought  of  my 
grandparents  who  were  convert  immi- 
grants from  England.  They  were  on 
one  of  the  last  wagon  trains  to  Utah 
before  the  coming  of  the  railroad. 
That  officially  makes  them  pioneers. 

My  father,  with  long,  curly,  black 
hair,  was  a  member  of  this  pioneer 
family.  While  they  were  on  the  trail 
camped  for  the  night,  well-meaning 
Indians  came  into  the  camp  in  search 
of  food.  The  chief  of  the  Indian  band 
later  that  night  stole  back  with  seven 
Indian  ponies  and  tied  them  to  the 
wagon  wheel  and  took  my  father.  This 
held  up  the  wagon  train  for  several 
days  until  the  scouts  could  find  the 
Indian  camp.  They  waited  for  the 
braves  to  go  on  a  hunting  expedition. 
Then  they  rescued  my  father  from  a 
wickiup  and  left  in  payment,  in  In- 
dian fashion,  the  same  seven  ponies, 
but  they  placed  on  the  back  of  each 
pony  a  pioneer  blanket.  This  is  a  true 
Indian  trading  principle,  and  I  believe 
it  is  a  good  principle,  because  it  is 
always  better  to  give  more  than  we 
receive. 

Two  of  my  aunts,  Valentina  and 
Annie  Etta,  died  on  that  entourage; 
Valentina  was  buried  on  the  plains. 
This  black-haired  boy  grew  to  man- 
hood and  became  a  part  of  the  Old 
West.  For  a  number  of  years  as  a 
young  man  he  used  to  light  the  gas 


lamps  on  Main  Street.  There  were  36 
of  them.  I  have  often  heard  him  tell 
that  they  chose  him  because  he  was 
tall  and  he  could  reach  and  turn  them 
off  in  the  morning  and  on  at  night. 

There  is  another  story  that  I  re- 
membered of  him,  as  Victor  Brown  was 
speaking  about  the  deacons.  My  father 
had  a  great  influence  with  young 
people.  There  in  the  area  where  he 
lived,  one  of  the  deacons  had  been 
seriously  reprimanded  by  the  bishop  or 
someone  who  was  teaching  the  class  of 
deacons,  and  he  became  belligerent  and 
vowed  that  he  would  never  go  back  to 
church  again.  This  young  man  was 
so  influential  that  he  influenced  11 
other  deacons  to  stay  away  from 
church,  and  these  12  boys  bound 
themselves  together  and  called  them- 
selves the  twelve  apostles.  They  built 
a  hut  that  was  partially  submerged 
under  the  ground,  and  this  is  where 
they  held  their  private  meetings.  Their 
sole  purpose  was  to  bother  any  boy 
who  would  try  to  go  to  priesthood 
meeting,  and  many  of  them  were 
beaten  up  on  their  way  and  intimidated 
to  try  to  prevent  them  from  going  to 
church. 

My  father  was  given  the  assignment 
to  try  to  get  these  boys  back  into  ac- 
tivity in  the  Church,  and  he  did  this 
by  going  to  their  hut  and  visiting  with 
them  for  long  periods  of  time,  until 
one  by  one  he  got  them  to  come  back. 
This  is  a  success  story,  for  every  one  of 
those  boys  except  one  went  into  the 
mission  field.  I  have  often  thought  of 
this   experience   accomplished   by   the 


boy  who  was  taken  by  the  Indians, 
who  left  seven  ponies  to  pay  for  him. 
I  am  glad,  of  course,  that  they  didn't 
keep  him. 

I  rejoice  with  you,  my  brothers  and 
sisters,  in  the  faith-promoting  inspira- 
tion of  what  we  have  heard  and  felt 
at  this  great  conference,  which  will 
soon  come  to  a  close. 

Such  gatherings  in  ancient  times  are 
scriptural  ly  referred  to  as  feasts,  and 
I  suppose  that  description  is  appropriate 
today,  for  surely  we  have  had  a  feast 
of  the  gospel.  As  always,  when  the 
saints  of  God  meet  in  conference, 
there  is  an  outpouring  of  the  Spirit, 
causing  a  renewal  of  faith  and  a  reas- 
surance of  our  convictions,  that  we 
might  continue  steadfast  through  grati- 
tude and  sacrifice  in  meeting  the 
challenge  of  a  rightousness  in  the  pro- 
gressive journey  of  life. 

Perhaps  if  a  central  motif  or  master 
theme  could  be  deducted  from  this 
conference,  it  would  emphasize  the 
need  of  testimony,  of  a  contriteness  of 
spirit,  a  greater  meekness  in  serving  the' 
Lord  and  in  working  out  our  salvation. 
I  think  it  was  Pogo  who  said,  "We  have 
met  the  enemy  and  he  is  us." 

In  a  revelation  especially  applicable 
to  the  Saints  in  Zion,  who  at  that  par- 
ticular time  were  assembled  in  Jackson 
County,  Missouri,  the  Lord  gave  this 
commandment,  among  others  that  were 
stressed  at  the  time,  and  which  I  think 
finds  application  among  us  today  as  it 
did  then: 

"Thou  shalt  thank  the  Lord  thy 
God  in  all  things. 


124 


"Thou  shalt  offer  a  sacrifice  unto  the 
Lord  thy  God  in  righteousness,  even 
that  of  a  broken  heart  and  a  contrite 
spirit."  (D&C  59:7-8.) 

This  divine  commandment  is  related, 
I  believe,  to  other  utterances  of  the 
Lord  and  is  characteristic  of  his  person. 

In  one  of  his  never-to-be-forgotten 
sermons  unto  the  multitudes  that  fol- 
lowed him,  he  uttered  the  sayings 
which  have  become  known  as  the 
Beatitudes.  Herein  is  described  the 
moral  character  required  in  those  who 
are  to  constitute  his  kingdom.  These 
are  familiar  to  all  of  us.  May  I  repeat 
them. 

"Blessed  are  the  poor  in  spirit:  for 
theirs  is  the  kingdom  of  heaven. 

"Blessed  are  they  that  mourn:  for 
they  shall  be  comforted.' 

"Blessed  are  the  meek:  for  they  shall 
inherit  the  earth. 

"Blessed  are  they  which  do  hunger 
and  thirst  after  righteousness:  for  they 
shall  be  filled. 

"Blessed  are  the  merciful:  for  they 
shall  obtain  mercy. 

"Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart:  for 
they  shall  see  God. 

"Blessed  are  the  peacemakers:  for 
they  shall  be  called  the  children  of 
God. 

"Blessed  are  they  which  are  perse- 
cuted for  righteousness'  sake:  for  theirs 
is  the  kingdom  of  heaven."  (Matt.  5:3- 
10.) 

To  seemingly  emphasize  the  impor- 
tance of  these  characteristics,  and  that 
they  were  displayed  in  the  Master  him- 
self, we  have  his  utterances  upon  an- 
other occasion. 

"At  that  time  Jesus  answered  and 
said,  I  thank  thee,  O  Father,  Lord  of 
heaven  and  earth,  because  thou  hast 
hid  these  things  from  the  wise  and 
prudent,  and  hast  revealed  them  unto 
babes. 

"Even  so,  Father:  for  so  it  seemeth 
good  in  thy  sight. 

"All  things  are  delivered  unto  me  of 
my  Father:  and  no  man  knoweth  the 
Son,  but  the  Father;  neither  knoweth 
any  man  the  Father,  save  the  Son,  and 
he  to  whomsoever  the  Son  will  reveal 
him. 

"Come  unto  me,  all  ye  that  labour 
and  are  heavy  Laden,  and  I  will  give 
you  rest. 

"Take  my  yoke  upon  you,  and  learn 
of  me;  for  I  am  meek  and  lowly  in 
heart:  and  ye  shall  find  rest  unto  your 
souls. 

"For  my  yoke  is  easy,  and  my  burden 
is  light."  (Matthew  11:25-30.) 

Concerning  the  inheriting  of  the 
earth  by  the  meek,  this  no  doubt  has 
reference  to  its  condition  after  it  has 
received  its  regenerated  glory  unto  that 
of  a  celestial  glory.  Of  this  the  Lord 
has  plainly  spoken  in  this  dispensation. 


"Therefore,  it  must  needs  be  sancti- 
fied from  all  unrighteousness,  that  it 
may  be  prepared  for  the  celestial  glory; 

"For  after  it  hath  filled  the  measure 
of  its  creation,  it  shall  be  crowned 
with  glory,  even  with  the  presence  of 
God  the  Father; 

"That  bodies  who  are  of  the  celes- 
tial kingdom  may  possess  it  forever  and 
ever;  for,  for  this  intent  was  it  made 
and  created,  and  for  this  intent  are 
they  sanctified."  (D&C  88:18-20.) 

I  believe  there  is  perhaps  a  distinc- 
tion between  humility  and  meekness. 
It  may  be  said  that  meekness  is  a  con- 
dition of  voluntary  humility.  The 
prophet  Alma  seemed  to  recognize  a 
distinction,  as  we  may  gather  from 
these  words: 

"And  now,  as  I  said  unto  you,  that 
because  ye  were  compelled  to  be  hum- 
ble ye  were  blessed,  do  ye  not  suppose 
that  they  are  more  blessed  who  truly 
humble  themselves  because  of  the 
word? 

"Yea,  he  that  truly  humbleth  him- 
self, and  repenteth  of  his  sins,  and 
endureth  to  the  end,  the  same  shall 
be  blessed — yea,  much  more  blessed 
than  they  who  are  compelled  to  be 
humble  because  of  their  exceeding 
poverty. 

"Therefore,  blessed  are  they  who 
humble  themselves  without  being  com- 
pelled to  be  humble;  or  rather,  in  other 
words,  blessed  is  he  that  believeth  in 
the  word  of  God,  and  is  baptized  with- 
out stubbornness  of  heart,  yea,  without 
being  brought  to  know  the  word,  or 
even  compelled  to  know,  before  they 
will  believe."  (Al.  32:14-16.) 

The  beatitude  said,  "Blessed  are  the 
pure  in  heart:  for  they  shall  see  God." 

While  speaking  unto  the  weary  and 
oppressed  of  the  Saints,  who  had  par- 
ticipated in  laying  the  foundation  in 
Zion,  the  Lord  proclaimed  that  only 
those  with  the  obedience  and  willing- 
ness of  the  pure  in  heart  and  mind 
were  of  the  house  of  Ephraim.  Here  is 
his  important  counsel  given  to  the 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith,  which  is  appli- 
cable today  as  preparations  go  forward 
in  the  destiny  of  God's  people. 

"Wherefore,  be  not  weary  in  well- 
doing, for  ye  are  laying  the  foundation 
of  a  great  work.  And  out  of  small 
things  proceedeth  that  which  is  great. 

"Behold,  the  Lord  requireth  the  heart 
and  a  willing  mind;  and  the  willing 
and  obedient  shall  eat  the  good  of  the 
land  of  Zion  in  these  last  days. 

"And  the  rebellious  shall  be  cut  off 
out  of  the  land  of  Zion,  and  shall  be 
sent  away,  and  shall  not  inherit  the 
land. 

"For,  verily  I  say  that  the  rebellious 
are  not  of  the  blood  of  Ephraim,  where- 
fore they  shall  be  plucked  out."  (D&C 
64:33-36.) 


It  is  the  good  and  honest  of  heart 
among  the  people  of  the  world  who 
most  readily  respond  to  the  message  of 
the  Restoration  as  declared  by  the  mis- 
sionaries who  bring  it  to  them.  And 
these  who  are  truly  spiritually  con- 
verted become  and  are  the  more  faith- 
ful of  the  Latter-day  Saints.  For  the 
Lord  himself  declared  that  only  those 
who  "doeth  good"  are  ready  to  receive 
a  fullness  of  the  gospel.  (D&C  35:12.) 

Perhaps  the  impact  of  meekness  and 
honesty  of  heart  can  be  more  fully 
appreciated  by  the  characteristics  that 
are  opposite.  These  are  appropriately 
spoken  of  by  Paul  the  apostle  in  rela- 
tion to  the  very  day  and  age  in  which 
we  live,  wherein  he  has  said: 


believe 

there  is  a  distinction 

between  humility 

and  weakness" 


"This  know  also,  that  in  the  last 
days  perilous  times  shall  come. 

"For  men  shall  be  lovers  of  their 
own  selves,  covetous,  boasters,  proud, 
blasphemers,  disobedient  to  parents, 
unthankful,  unholy, 

"Without  natural  affection,  truce- 
breakers,  false  accusers,  incontinent, 
fierce,  despisers  of  those  that  are  good, 

"Traitors,  heady,  highminded,  lovers 
of  pleasures  more  than  lovers  of  God; 

"Having  a  form  of  godliness,  but 
denying  the  power  thereof:  from  such 
turn  away. 

"For  of  this  sort  are  they  which  creep 
into  houses,  and  lead  captive  silly 
women  laden  with  sins,  led  away  with 
divers  lusts, 

"Ever  learning,  and  never  able  to 
come  to  the  knowledge  of  the  truth." 
(2  Tim.  3:1-7.) 

I  bear  testimony  of  the  fact  that  we 
have  the  truth.  The  course  of  the  true 
Latter-day  Saint  is  to  nurture  and  live 
by  that  truth  which  we  accept,  casting 
aside  the  extraneous  things  that  can 
only  mar  and  distort  the  simple  effec- 
tiveness of  the  gospel.  For  truly  the 
everlasting  gospel  is  the  glad  tidings 
of  great  joy. 

In  closing,  I  quote  these  words  from 
the  apostle  Peter,  which  I  think  make  a 
good  code  for  our  protection: 

"Honour  all  men.  Love  the  brother- 
hood. Fear  God.  Honour  the  king 
[Christ]."  (1  Pet.  2:17.) 

I  bear  my  testimony  to  you,  in  the 
name  of  Jesus  Christ.  Amen.  O 


Era,  December  1970    125 


•  Before  we  announce  President  Smith 
as  the  next  and  concluding  speaker  of 
the  conference,  it  seems  appropriate  to 
say  one  or  two  things. 

When  the  Church  was  first  orga- 
nized, in  fact,  the  day  on  which  it  was 
organized,  the  Lord  was  speaking  to  the 
Church.  He  didn't  mean  just  the  six- 
members  that  were  then  the  consti- 
tuted number  of  the  Church:  he  was 
speaking  about  the  President  of  the 
Church,  who  was  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith  at  that  time.  And  this  is  what 
he  said: 

"Wherefore,  meaning  the  church, 
thou  shalt  give  heed  unto  all  his  words 
[the  President's  words]  and  command- 
ments which  he  shall  give  unto  you  as 
he  receiveth  them,  walking  in  all  holi- 
ness before  me; 

"For  his  word  ye  shall  receive,  as  if 
from  mine  own  mouth,  in  all  patience 
and  faith. 

"For  by  doing  these  things  the  gates 
of  hell  shall  not  prevail  against  you; 
yea,  and  the  Lord  God  will  disperse  the 
powers  of  darkness  from  before  you, 
and  cause  the  heavens  to  shake  for  your 
good,  and  his  name's  glory."  (D&C 
21:4-6.) 

We  have  some  tight  places  to  go 
before  the  Lord  is  through  with  this 
church  and  the  world  in  this  dispen- 
sation, which  is  the  last  dispensation, 
which  shall  usher  in  the  coming  of  the 
Lord.  The  gospel  was  restored  to  pre- 
pare a  people  ready  to  receive  him.  The 
power  of  Satan  will  increase;  we  see 
it  in  evidence  on  every  hand.  There 
will  be  inroads  within  the  Church. 
There  will  be,  as  President  Tanner  has 
said,  "Hypocrites,  those  professing,  but 
secretly  are  full  of  dead  men's  bones." 
We  will  see  those  who  profess  member- 
ship but  secretly  are  plotting  and  trying 
to  lead  people  not  to  follow  the  leader- 


ship that  the  Lord  has  set  up  to  pre- 
side in  this  church. 

Now  the  only  safety  we  have  as 
members  of  this  church  is  to  do  exactly 
what  the  Lord  said  to  the  Church  in 
that  day  when  the  Church  was  orga- 
nized. We  must  learn  to  give  heed  to 
the  words  and  commandments  that  the 
Lord  shall  give  through  his  prophet, 
"as  he  receiveth  them,  walking  in  all 
holiness  before  me;  ...  as  if  from  mine 
own  mouth,  in  all  patience  and  faith." 
(D&C  21:4-5.)  There  will  be  some 
things  that  take  patience  and  faith. 
You  may  not  like  what  comes  from 
the  authority  of  the  Church.  It  may 
contradict  your  political  views.  It 
may  contradict  your  social  views.  It  may 
interfere  with  some  of  your  social  life. 
But  if  you  listen  to  these  things,  as  if 
from  the  mouth  of  the  Lord  himself, 
with  patience  and  faith,  the  promise  is 
that  "the  gates  of  hell  shall  not  prevail 
against  you;  yea,  and  the  Lord  God 
will  disperse  the  powers  of  darkness 
from  before  you,  and  cause  the  heavens 
to  shake  for  your  good,  and  his  name's 
glory."  (D&C  21:6.) 

Now  we  have  a  President  of  the 
Church  who  has  grown  to  great  years. 
Since  he  was  installed  as  President  six 
months  ago,  he  has  been  down  in 
Mexico  with  Sister  Smith.  He  has 
been  to  the  Arizona  Temple,  where  he 
gave  the  sealing  keys  to  a  new  temple 
presidency.  He  has  been  in  the  Ha- 
waiian Islands,  where  he  participated 
in  an  anniversary  of  the  Church  Col- 
lege of  Hawaii,  and  some  of  the  early 
events  in  the  history  of  that  place. 

In  connection  with  this  conference, 
there  has  been  an  intense  assignment 
to  the  President  of  the  Church. 

A  week  ago  Thursday,  all  the  Gen- 
eral Authorities  met  in  an  upper  room 
of   the    temple   fasting    and    praying, 


trying  to  prepare  themselves  spiritu- 
ally for  this  conference.  I  believe  we 
witnessed  the  outpouring  of  the  Spir- 
it, which  is  an  evidence  of  the 
Lord's  answer  to  the  prayers  that  were 
offered  at  that  time.  President  Smith 
addressed  the  General  Authorities.  He 
participated  in  the  Relief  Society  con- 
ference and  spoke  to  the  sisters.  He 
spoke  at  the  Sunday  School  conference. 
He  addressed  this  conference  in  the  first 
session.  He  addressed  the  priesthood 
session,  and  he  will  address  this  session. 
As  I  thought  of  the  role  of  President 
Tanner  and  myself  as  his  counselors, 
I  thought  of  a  circumstance  in  the  life 
of  Moses,  when  the  enemies  of  the 
church  in  that  day  were  just  as  they 
are  in  this  day.  They  were  threatening 
to  overcome  and  tear  down  and  to  stop 


126 


the  work  of  the  church.  As  Moses  sat 
upon  a  hill  and  raised  the  rod  of  his 
authority,  or  the  keys  of  his  priesthood, 
Israel  prevailed  over  their  enemies;  but 
as  the  day  wore  on,  his  hands  became 
heavy  and  began  to  droop  at  his  side. 
And  so  they  held  up  his  hands  so  they 
would  not  be  weakened  and  the  rod 
would  not  be  lowered.  He  would  be 
sustained  so  that  the  enemies  of  the 
church  would  not  prevail  over  the 
saints  of  the  Most  High  God.  (See 
Exod.  17:8-12.) 

I  think  that  is  the  role  that  Presi- 
dent Tanner  and  I  have  to  fulfill.  The 
hands   of   President  Smith   may   grow 


weary.  They  may  tend  to  droop  at 
times  because  of  his  heavy  responsi- 
bilities; but  as  we  uphold  his  hands, 
and  as  we  lead  under  his  direction,  by 
his  side,  the  gates  of  hell  will  not 
prevail  against  you  and  against  Israel. 
Your  safety  and  ours  depends  upon 
whether  or  not  we  follow  the  ones 
whom  the  Lord  has  placed  to  preside 
over  his  church.  He  knows  whom  he 
wants  to  preside  over  this  church,  and 
he  will  make  no  mistake.  The  Lord 
doesn't  do  things  by  accident.  He  has 
never  done  anything  accidentally.  And 
I  think  the  scientists  and  all  the  philos- 
ophers in  the  world  have  never  dis- 


covered or  learned  anything  that  God 
didn't  already  know.  His  revelations 
are  more  powerful,  more  meaningful, 
and  have  more  substance  than  all  the 
secular  learning  in  the  world. 

Let's  keep  our  eye  on  the  President 
of  the  Church  and  uphold  his  hands 
as  President  Tanner  and  I  will  con- 
tinue to  do. 

President  Smith,  we  honor  and  sus- 
tain you  in  that  high  place  because  the 
Lord  has  put  you  there.  It  will  now  be 
our  delight,  our  beloved  President,  to 
give  you  an  opportunity  to  leave  us 
your  blessing  as  we  conclude  this  great 
conference.  Q 


•  My  dear  brethren  and  sisters:  As  we 
conclude  another  great  conference  of 
the  Church,  I  desire  to  leave  my  bless- 
ings upon  you. 

The  priesthood  is  the  power  to  bless 
mankind,  and  all  ot  those  who  hold 
the  priesthood  are  expected  to  use  it 
within  the  sphere  of  their  assignment 
to  bless  their  fellowmen.  When  any 
of  us  use  this  authority  in  righteous- 
ness, and  as  directed  by  the  Holy  Spirit, 
our  acts  are  binding  and  will  be  recog- 
nized by  the  Lord  both  in  time  and  in 
eternity. 

And  so  I  feel  to  bless  the  saints, 
all  those  who  love  the  Lord  and  who 
signify  their  devotion  to  his  cause 
by  keeping  his  commandments.  I  wish 
to  bless  them  temporally  and  spiritual- 
ly and  pray  God  our  Father  to  pour  out 
his  bounties  upon  them  so  they  may 
be  prospered  in  all  their  righteous  en- 
deavors. 

I  speak  for  myself  and  for  all  of  you 
and  pour  out  my  soul  in  thanksgiving 
to  the  Lord  for  all  he  has  so  bounte- 
ously bestowed  upon  us. 

We  have  been  set  up  as  a  free  people 


by  the  power  of  our  Eternal  Father. 
The  beauties  and  bounties  of  nature 
are  ours,  and  we  have  these  truths  by 
obedience  to  which  we  can  live  lives 
that  will  be  pleasing  in  his  sight,  that 
will  give  us  peace  and  joy  in  this  life, 
and  assure  us  of  an  eternal  and  abun- 
dant life  with  him  in  his  everlasting 
kingdom. 

I  feel  to  say,  O  our  Eternal  Father, 
pour  out  thy  Spirit  more  abundantly 
upon  these  thy  saints,  upon  this  rem- 
nant of  scattered  Israel  which  has 
gathered  to  thy  gospel  in  these  last  days. 

Thou  knowest  that  as  a  people  we 
desire  to  serve  thee,  to  keep  the  com- 
mandments, and  to  carry  thy  message 
of  truth  and  righteousness  to  thy  people 
everywhere.  For  this  reason  we  send 
our  missionaries  to  every  part  of  the 
world.  I  have  had  my  sons  in  the 
mission  field  constantly  for  many  years. 
One  is  in  the  mission  field  at  this  pres- 
ent time  in  a  foreign  country,  where 
he  has  been  for  several  years. 

We  thank  thee,  our  Father,  for-  the 
great  outpouring  of  truth  and  light  that 
has  come  from  the  lips  of  thy  servants 


at  this  conference,  and  which  has  been 
carried  into  the  hearts  of  honest  men 
everywhere  by  the  power  of  thy  Holy 
Spirit. 

We  thank  thee  that  we  have  been 
fed  the  bread  of  life,  that  we  have  been 
strengthened  spiritually  and  are  now 
renewed  and  refreshed  and  ready  to 
go  forth  on  thy  errand,  doing  to  the 
best  of  our  abilities  those  things  which 
thou  wouldst  have  us  do. 

Our  Father  in  heaven,  we  are  grate- 
ful for  all  thou  hast  given  us;  we 
acknowledge  thy  hand  in  all  things, 
and  we  pray  for  the  success  and  tri- 
umph of  thy  purposes  in  all  the  earth. 

We  know  that  thou  hast  spoken  in 
this  day  as  thou  didst  in  days  of  old, 
and  we  are  pleased  to  be  instruments 
in  thy  hands  of  carrying  thy  message 
to  the  world,  and  of  standing  as  lights 
to  the  world  so  that  they,  seeing  our 
good  works,  may  be  led  to  glorify  thee. 

And  unto  thy  holy  name  we  ascribe 
the  honor  and  glory  in  all  things  both 
now  and  forever. 

In  the  name  of  the  Lord  Jesus  Christ. 
Amen.  O 


Era,  December  1970    127 


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Christmas— and  memories 
to  your  children 

By  Richard  L.  Evans 

At  this  season  there  is  so  much  intermingled: 
/-\  children— innocence,  expectancy;  loved  ones— 
/  \  homecoming,  happiness,  gay  and  mellow 
moods;  sometimes  loneliness— serious  concerns; 
generosity  in  some  measure,  and  some  emerging  of 
our  better  selves;  and  so  much  else  besides— all 
intermixed  with  a  measure  of  forgiving  and  forget- 
ting, and  with  memories  from  all  past  years  that 
merge  and  mingle  with  the  present  moment.  Oh, 
parents,  we  would  plead,  give  good  and  happy  mem- 
ories to  your  children— not  pampering  or  overin- 
dulging, not  satisfying  everything  they  take  a  fancy 
to— but  memories  of  love,  encouragement,  of  peace 
and  harmony  and  happiness  at  home— memories 
that  will  bless  and  lift  their  lives  wherever  they  are, 
always  and  forever.  Well,  swiftly  now  it  comes  and 
goes,  and  so  does  life.  Oh,  let  us  live  it  with  repen- 
tance and  improvement,  with  honesty  and  honor, 
and  with  a  balance  of  mind  and  heart  and  spirit- 
along  with  all  the  tangibles  that  are  so  much  in 
evidence.  And  one  could  not,  of  course,  conceive  of 
Christmas  without  him  whose  coming  it  commem- 
orates: the  Prince  of  Peace,  the  Son  of  God,  our 
Savior  and  Redeemer,  concerning  whom  we  witness 
that  he  lives,  from  deep  within  the  certainty  of  our 
souls.  "I  know  that  my  Redeemer  liveth."  Oh,  may 
we  not  forget  at  any  time  what  God  has  given,  or 
overemphasize  the  troubles  of  our  time,  but  go  with 
patience,  gratitude,  and  faith  into  the  future,  remem- 
bering from  Longfellow  these  hopeful,  moving  lines: 

I  heard  the  bells  on  Christmas  day 
Their  old  familiar  carols  play; 
And  wild  and  sweet  the  words  repeat 
Of  peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men. 

And  in  despair  I  bowed  my  head: 
"There  is  no  peace  on  earth,"  I  said, 
"For  hate  is  strong  and  mocks  the  song 
Of  peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men." 
Then  pealed  the  bells  more  loud  and  deep: 
"God  is  not  dead,  nor  doth  he  sleep; 
The  wrong  shall  fail  the  right  prevail, 
With  peace  on  earth,  good  will  to  men."1 


'Henry  Wadsworth  Longfellow,  "I  Heard  the  Bells  on  Christmas  Day." 


128 


They  Who  Served 

By  Albert  L.  Zobell,  Jr. 

Research  Editor 

•  It  hardly  seems  possible  that  this      Era.  Many  persons'  lives  have  been 
is  the  last  of  878  inspiration-filled      changed  with  a  single  issue. 


issues  of  the  Improvement  Era, 
whose  approximately  73,000  pages 
have  reflected  the  Church  during 
more  than  half  of  its  restored  life- 
time during  the  administrations  of 
seven  of  the  ten  Presidents  of  the 
Church. 

But  that  final  issue  is  here,  and  it 
is  a  day  for  momentarily  looking 
back. 

The  Improvement  Era  was  a  mis- 
sionary. It  followed  and  preceded 
missionaries  in  many  areas.  Many 
persons  have  joined  the  Church  as 


The  Improvement  Era  has  been 
most  fortunate  in  its  writers— Gen- 
eral Authorities  who  have  shared 
their  prophetic  callings  as  well  as 
members  of  the  Church  who  have 
gained  a  place  of  insight  and  of 
leadership  in  their  chosen  fields 
among  mankind.    ' 

The  Improvement  Era  has  had  a 
great  and  devoted  readership.  One 
reader,  Louis  O.  Turley,  of  Mesa, 
Arizona,  submitted  an  analysis 
covering  the  Era  from  November 
1897  to  August  1970.  He  found  that 


a  result  of  gift  subscriptions  to  the      Richard  L.  Evans  had  signed  1,492 


articles;  that  the  next  closest  was 
Franklin  S.  Harris,  Jr.,  with  369, 
while  John  A.  Widtsoe  had  349. 
Hugh  Nibley,  who  first  came  to  the 
Era  pages  in  1926  while  prepar- 
ing for  his  mission  call,  has  been 
our  most  voluminous  writer,  with 
more  than  130  major  articles. 

The  Improvement  Era— it's  like 
asking  me  to  make  the  funeral 
oration  for  a  lifelong  friend.  For 
more  years  than  I  would  willingly 
admit,  the  Era  has  been  close  to  me, 
and  I  have  often  retired  with  its 
problems.  Illnesses  and  vacations 
have  been  planned  so  as  not  to 
conflict  with  Era  requirements.  It's 
been  a  most  rewarding  association! 

Listed  below  are  the  great  names 
and  leaders  who  have  guided  lov- 
ingly this  magnificent  contribution 
for  good  among  the  Latter-day 
Saints.  O 


Era  Editors 

Era  Business  Department 

Year 

Editors 

(1)  Managing  Editor 

(2)  Associate  Editor 

(3)  Assistant  Managing  Editor 

(4)  Associate  Managing  Editor 

Year 

General  Manager 

Business  Manager 

Assistant  (1)  or 
Associate  (2) 
Business  Manager 

1897-98 
1898-99 

Joseph  F.  Smith 
B.  H.  Roberts 

Joseph  F.  Smith 
B.  H.  Roberts 
Edward  H.  Anderson 

None 
None 

1897 
190506 
1908 
1909 

Heber  J.  Grant 
Heber  J,  Grant 
Heber  J.  Grant 
Heber  J.  Grant 

Thomas  Hull  (1) 
Alpha  J.  Higgs  (1) 

1899-1918 
1918-27 

Joseph  F.  Smith 
Edward  H.  Anderson 

Heber  J.  Grant 
Edward  H.  Anderson 

None 
None 

1910 
1918 
1922 

Heber  J.  Grant 
Edward  H.  Anderson 
Melvin  J.  Ballard 

Moroni  Snow  (1) 
Moroni  Snow  (1) 
Moroni  Snow  (1) 

1927-29 

Heber  J.  Grant 
Hugh  J.  Cannon 

None 

1927 
1929 

Melvin  J.  Ballard 
Melvin  J.  Ballard 

Clarissa  A.  Beesley  (2) 

1929-30 

Heber  J.  Grant 

Hugh  J.  Cannon  (1) 
Elsie  T.  Brandley  (2) 

1930 

Melvin  J.  Ballard 

Clarissa  A.  Beesley  (2) 
0.  B.  Peterson  (1) 

1930-35 
1935-36 
1936-43 

Heber  J.  Grant 

Heber  J.  Grant 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Heber  J.  Grant 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Harrison  R.  Merrill  (1) 
Elsie  T.  Brandley  (2) 

Harrison  R.  Merrill  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (2) 

Richard  L.  Evans  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (2) 

1935 
1938 
1944 
1948 
1955 

George  Q.  Morris 
George  Q.  Morris 
George  Q.  Morris 
Elbert  R.  Curtis 
Elbert  R.  Curtis 

J.  K.  Orton 
J.  K.  Orton 
John  D.  Giles 
John  D.  Giles 
Verl  F.  Scott 

Clarissa  A.  Beesley  (2) 
Lucy  G.  Cannon  (2) 
Lucy  G.  Cannon  (2) 
Bertha  S.  Reeder  (2) 
Bertha  S.  Reeder  (2) 

1943-45 

Heber  J.  Grant 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Richard  L.  Evans  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (2) 
William  Mulder  (2) 

1958 
1961 

Joseph  T.  Bentley 
Joseph  T.  Bentley 

Verl  F.  Scott 
Verl  F.  Scott 

Bertha  S.  Reeder  (2) 
Florence  S.  Jacobsen  (2) 

(beginning  in  June  1945) 

1962 

G.  Carlos  Smith,  Jr. 

Verl  F.  Scott 

Florence  S.  Jacobsen  (2) 

1945-46 

George  Albert  Smith 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Richard  L.  Evans  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (2) 
William  Mulder  (2) 
(ending  in  March) 

1966 
1969 

G.  Carlos  Smith,  Jr. 
W.  Jay  Eldredge,  Jr. 

Verl  F.  Scott 

A.  Glen  Snarr  (acting) 

Verl  F.  Scott 

Florence  S.  Jacobsen  (2) 
Florence  S.  Jacobsen  (2) 

1947-49 

George  Albert  Smith 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Richard   L.   Evans  (1) 
Doyle  L.  Green  (3) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (2) 

1950-51 

George  Albert  Smith 
John  A.  Widtsoe 

Doyle  L.  Green  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (4) 

1951-52 

David  0.  McKay 
John  A.  Widtsoe 
Richard  L.  Evans 

Doyle  L.  Green  (1) 
Marba  C.  Josephson  (4) 

1952-65 

David  O.  McKay 
Richard  L.  Evans 

Doyle  L.  Green  (1) 
Marba  C,  Josephson  (4) 

1965-68 

David  O.  McKay 
Richard  L.  Evans 

Doyle  L.  Green  (1) 

1969 

David  O.  McKay 
Richard  L.  Evans 

Doyle  L.  Green  (I) 
Jay  M.  Todd  (3) 

1970 

Joseph  Fielding  Smith 
Richard  L.  Evans 

Doyle  L.  Green  (1) 
Jay  M.  Todd  (3) 

Era,  December  1970   129 


Church  School  Appointments 

The  First  Presidency  has  appointed 

six  Latter-day  Saint  educators  to  the  Church 

Educational  System.   They  will  serve  under 

Neal  A.  Maxwell,  Church  Commissioner 

of  Education.    Photos  left  to  right. 

Dee  F.  Andersen,  formerly  controller  of  the 

University  of  Utah,  has  been  called  to  be 

associate  commissioner  for  finance  and 

business.    Dr.  Joe  J.  Christensen, 

recently  released  as  president  of  the  Mexico 

Mission  and  former  director  of  the  institute 

of  religion  adjacent  to  the  University 

of  Utah,  has  been  called  to  be  associate 

commissioner  for  seminaries  and 

institutes.    Dr.  Frank  D.  Day,  assistant 


administrator  of  seminaries  and  institutes, 
will  continue  in  that  same  position. 
Dr.  Dan  J.  Workman,  director  of  the 
institute  adjacent  to  the  Utah  State 
University  campus,  has  been  called 
to  be  an  assistant  administrator 
of  seminaries  and  institutes. 
Dr.  Kenneth  H.  Beesley,  executive  dean 
of  Fresno  State  College  in  California, 
has  been  called  to  be  associate 
commissioner  for  Church  Schools. 
Dr.  Keith  R.  Oakes,  assistant 
administrator  of  Church  Schools,  has  been 
called  to  be  administrator  for  elementary 
and  secondary  schools. 


Danish  Saints  Fly  to  Conference 

October  general  conference  was  also  memorable 

for  284  Danish  members  of  the  Church  who  flew  nonstop 

to  Salt  Lake  City  from  Copenhagen.    Many  of  the 

group  had  been  saving  and  dreaming  for  such 

a  trip  for  years — and  there  was  many  a  tearful  reunion 

with  former  acquaintances,  friends,  and  relatives. 

Among  the  Danish  Saints  were  57  members 


of  the  Latter-day  Saint  Danish  Choir. 

Under  the  direction 

of  Brother  Jorgen  Ljunstrom,  the  choir  has  sung 

widely  throughout  Northern  Europe.   The  choir 

has  "helped  tremendously  the  missionary  effort  in  Northern 

Europe,"  said  Finn  Nielsen,  public  relations  specialist 

for  the  Church  in  Denmark  and  Scandinavia. 


130 


Japanese  Visitors  Attend  Temple  Sessions 

Over  the  Pole  they  came,  184  Japanese 

Latter-day  Saints,  the  first  of  two  planeloads,  to  participate 

in  Japanese  language  sessions  at  the  Salt  Lake  Temple 

and  to  attend  general  conference. 

Down  the  ladder  from  the  huge  jet  they  spilled, 

just  hours  from  Tokyo,  in  a  torrent  of  smiles, 

flight  bags,  and  baggage,  proceeding  through  customs  with 

the  orderliness  and  courtesy  born  of  generations 

of  refinement. 


When  they  entered  the  airport  waiting  room,  to  be 

greeted  with  warm  handclasps  and  strong  embraces 

of  missionaries  who  had  served  in  their  country, 

the  excitement  needed  no  words  to  express  the  flashes  of 

recognition  and  the  joys  of  reunion. 

Most  of  the  visitors  were  young  married 

couples,  many  of  whom  received 

their  own  temple  endowments  while  in 

Salt  Lake  City. 


Era,  December  1970     131 


r 


From  Germany 

AUTHENTIC  GRANDFATHER  CLOCK 

Table  Model.  Adds  charm  and 

color  to  any  room.  Hand- 
decorated,  8V2 
inches  high,  in 
ivory,  red,  blue 
or  black.  Mailed 
direct  to  you 
from  Germany. 


Spanish  gifts 

TOLEDO  WARE  LETTER  OPENERS 

Exact  reproductions  of  Spanish 
swords  of  the  18th  Century. 


( 


4 

m 


/ 


f  Nickel-plated 

J  I  iron  blades,  gold 

'  plated  brass 

-.-%  hilts,  hand- 

(-€  painted  in 

/  Toledo 

/  Engravings. 

Set  of  2  swords— 

(  10"  &  8V2"  in 

'  length     $4.98 

Single  sword— 

11"  in  length.  $3.98 


From  Denmark 
CLOWN-MONEY  BANK 

The  people  of  Sjaelland,  the  isle 
on  which  Copenhagen  is  situated, 
are  experts  in 
woodworking  to 
such  a  degree 
that  these  handi- 
crafts are  much 
sought  after 
throughout  the 
world.  Made  of 
teak/beech, 
6  inches  high. 

$3.98 


From  Holland 

DUTCH  WINDMILL  TABLE  LAMP 


Ma  1 
Nat 


led  direct  from  Holland-. 

ural  wood  finish.  Soft  light 
shines  from 
windows.  Turn 
the  windmill 
arms  and  music 
plays  "Tulips 
from  Amster- 
dam." 11  inches 
high. 


$10.95 


ZABRISKIE  IMPORTS 


P.  0.  BOX  2106 

SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH  84110  U.S.A. 


The  Church 
Moves  On 


September  1970 

El  "We  are  a  temple-building  people 
and  this  is  one  of  the  things  which  sets 
us  apart  from  the  world.  .  .  .  Temple 
building  and  temple  ordinances  are  the 
very  heart  of  our  religion,"  President 
Joseph  Fielding  Smith  said  this  morn- 
ing, as  he  presided  at  the  cornerstone 
ceremonies  at  the  Ogden  (Utah)  Tem- 
ple. President  N.  Eldon  Tanner  of  the 
First  Presidency  offered  the  dedicatory 
prayer  and  laid  the  marble  corner- 
stone. 


The  appointments  of  Man/a  S. 
Christensen,  Carolyn  Y.  Hunsaker, 
Georgia  C.  Faux,  and  Earleen  R.  Gregory 
to  the  general  board  of  the  Young 
Women's  Mutual  Improvement  Associa- 
tion were  announced. 

The  appointments  of  Dean  L.  Larsen 
and  J.  Fielding  Nelson  to  the  general 
board  of  the  Deseret  Sunday  School 
Union  were  announced. 


Chesapeake  Stake,  the  526th  now 
functioning,  was  organized  by  Elder 
Thomas  S.  Monson  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve  from  portions  of  the  Wash- 
ington (D.  C.)  Stake.  President  June  B. 
Thayn  and  counselors  John  R.  Smith 
and  Victor  D.  Merrell  were  sustained. 

New  stake  presidencies:  President 
Wendell  G.  Eames  and  counselors  Rich- 
ard G.  Scott  and  Frank  L.  Shafer,  Wash- 
ington (D.C.)  Stake;  President  David  O. 
Dance  and  counselors  Dale  A.  Harrison 
and  Bernard  J.  Barnes,  Seattle  (Wash- 
ington) Stake. 


132 


m 


The  appointment  of  Eran  A.  Call, 
Provo,  Utah,  as  president  of  the  Mexico 
Mission  was  announced  by  the  First 
Presidency. 


E2 


Announced  today  were  names  of 
the  new  magazines  of  the  Church:  the 
Ensign  (adult),  the  New  Era  (youth), 
and  the  Friend  (children). 

ES  "I  don't  think  the  nation  would 
have  the  welfare  problems  it  does  if  we 
had  a  welfare  program  like  yours,"  U.  S. 
Secretary  of  Labor  James  D.  Hodgson 
said  to  members  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency, as  he  and  three  assistant  secre- 
taries, Malcolm  R.  Lovell,  Jerome  M. 
Rosow,  and  Joseph  Loftus,  visited  in 
Salt  Lake  City  today. 


m  The  appointment  of  Mrs.  Gwen  C. 
Anderson  to  the  general  board  of  the 
Young  Women's  Mutual  Improvement 
Association  was  announced. 

The  appointments  of  Bruce  Lake, 
Reid  H.  Johnson,  Robert  G.  Vincent, 
Howard  C.  Badger,  William  N.  Jones, 
and  Rulon  H.  Bradshaw  to  the  general 
board  of  the  Young  Men's  Mutual  Im- 
provement Association  were  announced. 


m 


New  stake  presidency:  President 
John  Sonnenberg  and  counselors  Dallin 
H.  Oakes  and  LaVon  S.  Fife,  Chicago 
(Illinois)  South  Stake. 


The  First  Presidency  urged  mem- 
bers to  exercise  their  faith  and  prayers 
on  behalf  of  the  people  of  Southern 
California  whose  homes  and  lives  are 
endangered  by  devastating  and  un- 
controlled fires. 


id  The  annual  Relief  Society  confer- 
ence began  today,  with  sessions  on 
Temple  Square  and  an  evening  recep- 
tion at  the  Relief  Society  Building. 

October  1970 

I  Assignments  of  nine  new  Regional 
Representatives  of  the  Council  of  the 
Twelve  are:  Adney  Y.  Komatsu,  Hawaii 


Era,  December  1970    133 


L*k«   Cl'Ii,    UleK-.TM.M''*' 


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Raised  letters  (thermography)  — 
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M  E  R  C  U  R  Y 

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139  EAST  3900  SOUTH 
SALT  LAKE  CITY,  UTAH  84107 


Name 


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City 


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TIME  FOR  A  TEMPLE  SESSION 

Charter  flight  departs: 

May  5,  August  4,  1971 
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and  Tokyo  regions;  Wendell  B.  Menden- 
hall,  Melbourne,  Perth,  and  Sydney 
regions;  Lysle  R.  Cahoon,  Oklahoma 
and  Winter  Quarters  regions;  Derek  A. 
Cuthbert,  Leeds  and  Manchester  re- 
gions; Thomas  Y.  Emmett,  Salem  and 
Seattle  regions;  F.  Arthur  Kay,  Alaska, 
Vancouver,  and  Portland  regions;  H. 
Burke  Peterson,  Mesa  and  Phoenix 
regions;  L.  Aldin  Porter,  Boise  and 
Weiser  regionsr.Robert  D.  Hales,  Louisi- 
ana and  Minneapolis  regions. 

At  the  same  time,  the  releases  of 
eight  Regional  Representatives  who 
have  served  since  1967  were  an- 
nounced: A.  Lewis  Elggren,  Cecil  E. 
Hart,  Heber  J.  Heiner,  Jr.,  David  E. 
Heywood,  Howard  J.  Marsh,  S.  Reed 
Millar,  Wilford  H.  Payne,  and  C.  Bryant 
Whiting. 

Sunday  School  workers  began  three 
days  of  conference  to  discuss  improved 
teaching  methods  and  to  hear  Church 
leaders  speak. 

The  three-day  Instructional  Media 
Fair  in  the  Salt  Palace  was  begun  to- 
day, as  one  of  the  conference  features. 

The  day  for  the  Relief  Society  con- 
ference was  one  of  departmental 
sessions. 


The  140th  Semiannual  General 
Conference  of  the  Church  began  this 
morning  in  the  Tabernacle  on  Temple 
Square.  In  all,  some  300  radio  and 
television  stations  will  broadcast  por- 
tions of  this  important  conference. 

This  was  a  season  of  renewing  ac- 
quaintances and  of  reliving  old  times 
as  missionaries  and  servicemen  began 
holding  their  traditional  reunions  to- 
night. 


Conference  sessions  continued, 
with  general  sessions  at  10:00  a.m.  and 
2:00  p.m. 

The  priesthood  session  of  the  con- 
ference was  heard  by  priesthood  bear- 
ers in  attendance  at  650  meeting  places 
in  the  United  States  and  Canada,  in 
addition  to  those  attending  on  Temple 
Square. 

The   board  of  trustees  for  the  new 


134 


Health  Services  Corporation  of  the 
Church  were  announced:  Presiding 
Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg,  chairman; 
Bishop  Robert  L.  Simpson  and  Bishop 
Victor  L.  Brown,  vice-chairmen.  Board 
members  include  Elder  Marvin  J,  Ash- 
ton,  Assistant  to  the  Twelve,  managing 
director,  Social  Services;  James  E. 
Faust,  secretary;  Dr.  James  O.  Mason, 
Church  commissioner  of  Health  Ser- 
vices; Neal  A.  Maxwell,  Church  commis- 
sioner of  education;  Mrs.  LaVern  W. 
Parmley,  general  president  of  the 
Primary;  and  Clarence  E.  Wonnacott, 
assistant  commissioner  of  Health  Ser- 
vices, treasurer. 

U  At  the  concluding  session  of  the 
general  conference,  Mrs.  Naomi  W. 
Randell  was  sustained  as  first  counselor 
in  the  general  Primary  Association 
presidency,  succeeding  Mrs.  Lucile  C. 
Reading,  who  has  been  appointed  editor 
of  the  new  Friend  magazine. 


LJ  Elder  Ezra  Taft  Benson  of  the 
Council  of  the  Twelve  gave  the  dedica- 
tory address  and  prayer  dedicating  37 
buildings  on  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity campus. 

iQj  The  setting  aside  of  Monday  night 
as  a  uniform  home  evening  time  was 
announced  by  the  First  Presidency. 

The  appointments  of  Keith  R.  Oakes 
as  administrator  of  elementary  and 
secondary  Church  schools  and  Kenneth 
H.  Beesley  as  an  associate  commis- 
sioner of  education  were  announced. 

The  appointment  of  Cecil  E.  Hart  as 
president  of  the  Idaho  Falls  Temple  was 
announced. 


Cache  North  Stake  was  organized 
from  portions  of  Cache  East  Stake  in 
Logan,  Utah,  by  Elder  Howard  W. 
Hunter  of  the  Council  of  the  Twelve. 
Charles  L.  Hyde  was  sustained  as  presi- 
dent, with  James  L.  Shupe  and  Louis 
B.  Hoggan  as  counselors. 

Pleasant  Grove  (Utah)  Stake,  the 
529th  now  functioning,  was  organized 
from  portions  of  Timpanogos  Stake  by 


Elder  Boyd  K.  Packer  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve.  Leon  R.  Walker  was  sus- 
tained as  president,  with  Thomas  A. 
Adams  and  Kenneth  H.  Gillman  as 
counselors. 

New  stake  presidencies:  President 
Glen  T.  Baird  and  counselors  Martin  T. 
Karren  and  Grant  S.  Sorensen,  Cache 
East  Stake;  President  Fredrick  J. 
Schoenfeld  and  counselors  Lewis  R. 
Child  and  Carl  G.  Fowers,  Lake  View 
(Utah)  Stake;  President  Vaughan  J. 
Featherstone  and  counselors  John  R. 
Clarke  and  Ronald  L.  Rice,  Boise 
(Idaho)  North  Stake;  President  Philip 
E.  Jones  and  counselors  Frank  W.  Bush- 
man and  Kenneth  M.  Shepherd,  Nebo 
(Utah)  Stake. 


The  appointments  of  Franklin  D. 
Day  and  Dan  J.  Workman  as  assistant 
administrators  of  seminaries  and  insti- 
tutes were  announced. 

The  appointments  of  Lucy  Jayne 
Clark,  Helen  G.  Wright,  Donna  Lora 
Waters,  and  Beatrice  R.  Berg  to  the 
general  board  of  the  Primary  Associa- 
tion were  announced. 

The  appointments  of  Rosalie  Reese 
and  MacCene  M.  Grimmett  to  the  gen- 
eral board  of  the  Young  Women's  Mu- 
tual Improvement  Association  were 
announced. 


Lil  Oklahoma  South  Stake,  the  530th 
now  functioning,  was  organized  from 
portions  of  Oklahoma  Stake  by  Elder 
Thomas  S.  Monson  of  the  Council  of 
the  Twelve.  H.  Aldridge  Gillespie  was 
sustained  as  president,  with  Harry  L. 
Gibbons  and  Blythe  E.  Crow  as  coun- 
selors. 

New  stake  presidency:  President  Wil- 
ley  E.  Callister  and  counselors  Leland 
J.  Housley  and  Robert  L.  Ezell,  Okla- 
homa Stake. 

E£J  The  appointment  of  Reed  Whipple 
as  president  of  the  St.  George  Temple 
was  announced. 

Plans  for  remodeling  the  old  Lafay- 
ette School  in  Salt  Lake  City  as  the 
new  mission  home  were  announced. 


Era,  December  1970     135 


FILMING  THE 
MORMON  TRAIL 

Max  and  Harriette  Howe,  seasoned  veterans  of 
over  175  travel  film  productions,  recently  com- 
pleted filming  THE  GREAT  MORMON  EPIC  from 
THE  SACRED  GROVE  to  SALT  LAKE  CITY. 
Professionally  filmed,  edited  and  reproduced  to 
Super  8mm  color.  Each  title  is  50  feet  in 
length  and  contains  many  colorful  scenes  of  the 
history  in  the  Restored  Church.  A  detailed  script 
accompanies  each  reel. 

The  reel  tours  are  in  sequence  so  that  they  may 
be  shown  singly  or  spliced  together  for  showings 
at  home,  classroom  or  fireside. 

SPLICE  ■  IN  ■ 
READY  -  TO  -  SHOW  ■  MOVIES 


#1.  The  Sacred   Grove 
#  2.   Hill  Cumorah 
#3.   Priesthood  Restored 
#4.  The  Church 

Organized 
#5.    Kirtland  Temple 
#6.   Missouri  Exile 

Super    8mm    (50')     Color, 
each   $7.95.    All   11  titles 
number   of    desired    title, 
order  to:  ETERNA,  Box  55: 
*Middle  of  the  Mormon 


#7. 

#8. 

#9. 
#10. 
#11. 


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Temple  Square 
Visitor's   Center 


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We  sincerely  hope  the  days 
ahead  will  bring  Peace  On  Earth 
Good  Will  Towards  Men 
the  world  over,  and 
to  our  many  friends 
a  Joyous  Holiday  and 
Prosperous  New  Year. 

Send  $1.50  for  5  lb.  post- 
paid sample  of  flour, 
stone  ground  with  a  Lee 
Home  Mill. 

Included  full  information 
and   lip  smacking  recipes. 

E- 12-70 


LEE  ENGINEERING  CO. 

2023  W.  Wisconsin  Ave.,  Milwaukee,  Wis.  53201 


The  Presiding  Bishop 
Talks  to  Youth  About 


Being  in  theWorld  bill  Hot  Of  t 


By  Bishop  John  H.  Vandenberg 


•  As  selfishness,  violence,  and  un- 
controlled morals  become  more  and 
more  the  prime  motives  in  the  ac- 
tions of  men,  there  is  an  increase 
in  the  desire  of  many  to  flee  such 
an  environment.  Some  try  to  find, 
or  return  to,  an  area  where  most  of 
the  people  are  members  of  the 
Church.  They  may  seek  admittance 
for  their  children  to  one  of  the 
Church  schools,  where  gospel  prin- 
ciples are  openly  taught  and  ap- 
plied as  a  matter  of  educational 
policy. 

It  is  becoming  more  evident  all 
the  time  that  there  is  a  limit  to  the 
degree  to  which  we  can  put  our- 
selves physically  beyond  the  effect 
of  the  evil  influences  of  our  world 
by  isolating  ourselves  in  certain 
communities  or  schools.  Church 
colleges  have  reached  or  are  reach- 
ing enrollment  limits  that  cannot  be 
increased.  Young  people  may  there- 
fore need  to  reorient  their  thinking 
as  they  face  adulthood  in  a  per- 
missive, Godless,  sensual  world 
society. 

Perhaps  the  first  item  in  this  ad- 
justment is  one  of  perspective.  The 
Prophet  Joseph  Smith  stated  his 
perspective  in  Section  127  of  the 
Doctrine  and  Covenants,  verse  2: 
"And  as  for  the  perils  which  I  am 
called  to  pass  through,  they  seem 
but  a  small  thing  to  me,  as  the  envy 


and  wrath  of  man  have  been  my 
common  lot  all  the  days  of  my  life; 
for  what  cause  it  seems  mysterious, 
unless  I  was  ordained  from  before 
the  foundation  of  the  world.  .  .  ." 
"  The  Prophet  believed  that  this 
destiny,  this  mission  in  life,  was 
and  would  be  true  of  all  who  would 
choose  to  embrace  the  gospel  and 
dedicate  themselves  to  full  service 
in  building  the  kingdom  of  God. 

"Every  man  who  has  a  calling  to 
minister  to  the  inhabitants  of  the 
world  was  ordained  to  that  very 
purpose  in  the  Grand  Council  of 
heaven  before  this  world  was." 
(Teachings  of  the  Prophet  Joseph 
Smith,  p.  365. ) 

With  such  an  understanding  of 
their  mission  in  life,  young  people 
of  the  Church  should  be  proud  to 
shoulder  the  burdens  of  building 
the  kingdom  wherever  they  live. 
No  generation  since  the  beginning 
of  history  has  been  without  its 
problems  in  contending  with  evil. 
Evil  and  sin  soon  penetrate  isolated 
pockets  of  population,  especially  in 
this  age  of  instant  communication. 
These  areas  are  favored  for  a  few 
years.  After  that,  strength  of  char- 
acter and  dedication  to  gospel  prin- 
ciples are  necessary  to  withstand 
the  downgrading  effects  of  a  bad 
environment. 

True  strength  of  character  comes 


from  being  engaged  in  a  noble 
cause.  Young  people  of  the  Church 
have  been  given  a  cause,  which  is 
outlined  in  the  epistle  written  by 
the  Prophet  Joseph  on  September 
6,  1842: 

".  .  .  for  it  is  necessary  in  the 
ushering  in  of  the  dispensation  of 
the  fulness  of  times,  which  dispen- 
sation is  now  beginning  to  usher  in, 
that  a  whole  and  complete  and  per- 
fect union,  and  welding  together 
of  dispensations,  and  keys,  and 
powers,  and  glories  should  take 
place "  (D&C  128:18.) 

Daniel  saw  that  in  our  day  the 
gospel  would  fill  the  whole  earth, 
until  Christ's  kingdom  would  re- 
place earthly  kingdoms.  Only  as 
those  who  have  accepted  and  live 
the  gospel  are  present  everywhere 
can  this  happen.  The  lives  of 
people  are  more  effective  than 
formal  sermons.  The  youth  who  are 
in  the  world  will  find  great  satisfac- 
tion in  being  spiritual  lights  to 
counter  the  darkness  in  which  the 
world  finds  itself. 

The  Church  has  the  programs 
.through  which  young  people  can 
anchor  themselves  in  a  confused, 
frustrated  world.  The  Aaronic 
Priesthood  program  gives  leader- 
ship training,  gospel  instruction, 
and  opportunities  for  service  that 
prepare  young  men  for  their  tasks 


136 


he  World 


in  the  Church.  The  Mutual  Im- 
provement Associations  offer  the 
best  in  social,  cultural,  athletic,  and 
scouting  programs.  Through  the 
personal  achievement  programs  for 
young  men  and  women,  personal 
goal  setting  can  be  practiced  as  a 
bulwark  against  the  evil  influences 
in  the  world. 

Gospel  instruction  is  available 
each  Sunday  in  almost  all  parts  of 
the  world  in  the  Sunday  Schools. 
Home-study  seminaries  and  non- 
released-time  and  released-time 
seminaries  give  daily  opportunity 
for  well  over  120,000  young  people 
in  the  world  to  meet  together,  study 
the  gospel,  and  strengthen  one  an- 
other to  face  the  trials  of  the  day. 
College  students  can  find  strength 
and  guidance  in  institutes  of  re- 
ligion, available  on  a  large  number 
of  campuses,  where  counseling, 
instruction,  and  sociability  are 
offered. 

With  the  help  of  these  programs 
and  the  support  of  a  testimony  re 
ceived  through  the  Holy  Ghost, 
young  men  and  women  of  the 
Church  can  confidently  be  "in  the 
world,  but  not  of  the  world,"  and 
can  carry  out  their  divine  mis- 
sion to  usher  in  that  "whole  and 
complete  and  perfect  union,  and 
welding  together  of  dispensations, 
and  keys,  and  powers,  and  glo- 
ries. ..."  O 


Buffs 

and 

Rebuffs 


'After  Ten  Years' 

The  fellow  I've  dated  for  the  past  four- 
teen months  is  leaving  in  two  weeks  for  a 
mission.  Your  article  "After  Ten  Years— 
A  Tribute  to  Missionaries"  [September] 
consoled  me  a  great  deal.  I  find  it  hard 
to  imagine  not  being  with  him,  especially 
because  we  have  grown  together  in  the 
gospel  since  he  was  converted,  but  the 
article  made  me  realize  how  greatly  he 
will  influence  the  lives  of  many  others  by 
bringing  them  the  gospel.  It  made  me 
think,  where  would  each  of  us  be  today 
if  it  weren't  for  missionaries?  Thanks  for 
the  support  the  article  gave  us. 

Debbie  Hamilton 
Marshalltown,  Iowa 

Evil 

William  E.  Berrett's  "The  Problem  of 
Evil"  [October]  was  most  inspiring.  I 
understand  that  philosophers  want  to 
know  if  men  suffer  because  God  could 
help  them  but  won't,  or  because  God 
would  help  them  but  can't.  I  admire 
Brother  Berrett's  facile  answer:     "Both." 

Rustin  Kaufman 

Mountain  View,  California 

Long  Hair 

I'm  writing  about  a  letter  in  "Buffs"  in 
September  that  commented  on  long  hair. 
I  read  the  passage  in  1  Corinthians  11:14- 
16,  and  I  feel  that  if  we  are  going  to  fol- 
low one  part,  let's  follow  all  the  scripture 
and  take  nothing  out  of  context.  I  must 
have  missed  some  definite  Church  teach- 
ing in  the  length  of  hair  and  the  evils 
that  are  inherent  in  long  hair.  I've  been 
taught  to  accept  people  as  individuals 
and  not  to  condemn  anyone.  I've  cer- 
tainly seen  some  young  men  with  long 
hair  who  bear  their  testimonies  and  help 
others  find  the  truth  in  the  gospel. 

D'Wayne  Baird 

South  Pasadena,  California 

Mormon  Philosophy  of  Speech 

Concerning  "B.  H.  Roberts:  A  Mormon 
Philosophy  of  Speech"  [September],  B.  H. 
Roberts  was  not  taken  to  Utah  by  his 
widowed  mother  at  age  nine.  His  mother 
left  England  nearly  four  years  earlier, 
leaving  him  in  the  care  of  converts  to  the 
Church.  "Harry"  traveled  to  Utah  with 
his  sister  at  age  nine.  His  mother  was 
not  widowed.  His  father  was  very  much 
alive,  and  in  later  years  B.  H.  Roberts 
hoped  to  find  him  when  he  traveled  in 
England. 

Mrs.  Anita  L.  Mott 
Sudbury,  Massachusetts 


'The  Risk  of  Love' 

No  Mormon  who  reads  President  Joseph 
Fielding  Smith's  definitive  comment  on 
"The  Sacredness  of  Marriage"  [Septem- 
ber] could  do  anything  but  bear  his 
testimony.  Then,  on  page  58  of  the  same 
issue,  is  to  me  the  most  moving  story  in 
the  magazine,  "The  Risk  of  Love."  It 
relates  in  simple  but  appropriate  words  an 
incredibly  beautiful  love  story.  My  faith 
in  the  priesthood  has  been  strengthened 
even  more  by  the  words  of  the  bishop  to 
Taney:  "Love  him  and  teach  him,  but  if 
you  see  that  he's  hardened  his  heart 
against  the  Church,  then  you  must  have 
the  strength,  through  the  Holy  Ghost,  to 
leave  him  and  make  a  new  life." 

Ben  Crowell 
Salt  Lake  City 

'The  Mormon  Miracle' 

Your  September  issue  used  the  conserva- 
tive projected  estimate  of  20,000  people 
in  attendance  at  the  1970  fourth  annual 
presentation  of  The  Mormon  Miracle 
pageant  at  Manti,  Utah.  Over  37,000 
people  witnessed  this  presentation  under 
the  stars  before  the  sublime  spectacle  of 
the  beautiful  Manti  Temple,  built  on  a 
hill  rising  from  a  majestic  mountain 
setting.  The  1971  pageant  will  be  pre- 
sented six  nights,  with  a  conservative 
projected  estimate  of  75,000  attendance. 
Dorothy  Gray 
Pageant  Coordinator 
South  Sanpete  Stake 

Library  Program 

Although  not  a  member  of  the  Church, 
I  read  with  excitement  of  your  expanded 
library  program  [September].  I  have 
visited  the  local  chapel  of  your  church 
many  times  and  wished  an  adequate 
library  program  could  be  established  for 
member  and  nonmember. 

This  new  program  as  outlined  in  the 
September  magazine  raises  many  exciting 
prospects  for  a  knowledge  explosion.  I 
visualize  a  multi-media  center  that  will 
serve  all— the  teacher,  the  student,  the 
member,  and  the  nonmember.  I  would 
hope  that  you  plan  to  allow  us  on  the 
"outside"  access  to  the  collection.  I  have 
found  that  materials  I  wish  to  obtain 
are  not  available  at  the  public  library. 
As  an  ex-public  librarian,  I  can  under- 
stand the  reasons  for  this  lack,  but  it 
does  make  a  gap  in  research. 

I  am  presently  a  high  school  librarian 
and  can  only  compliment  the  First  Presi- 
dency on  its  stand  for  a  strong  library 
program.  "The  glory  of  God  is  intelli- 
gence," and  the  library  is  the  center  for 
ideas  and  the  challenge  of  gaining  intel- 
ligence. 

Please  do  not  allow  your  libraries  to 
become  storehouses  of  materials.  A  well- 
stocked,  neat  library  is  an  unused  library! 
I  hope  that  your  librarians  and  library 
aides  will  be  devoted  both  to  the  princi- 
ples of  the  Church  and  to  the  philosophy 
of  the  library  profession. 

Allan  A.  Cuseo 
Rochester,  New  York 


Era,  December  1970    137 


Todays  Family 


•  A  popular  song  says,  "Welcome 
to  my  world  .  .  ."  So  does  the 
kitchen  at  Christmas  time.  It  smells 
so  good:  fruit  cakes  in  the  oven! 
cookies  on  the  cooling  racks!  and 
good  smelling  yeast  dough  rising 
in  the  pan! 

The  warming  custom  of  present- 
ing home-baked  goodies  is  a 
wonderful  way  to  say  "Merry 
Christmas"  to  neighbors  and  friends 
and  a  traditional  way  to  welcome 
everyone  into  the  kitchen. 

As  you  share  the  nourishing  gifts 
of  your  kitchen,  remember  to  share 
also  your  own  spiritual  gifts. 

How  often  we  have  been  told  to 
gain  "faith,  hope,  charity,  and  love, 
with  an  eye  single  to  the  glory  of 
God."  We  have  been  counseled  to 
"be  not  afraid,"  to  "be  of  good 
cheer."  We  have  also  heard,  "Seek 
not  for  riches  but  for  wisdom,"  and 
"Search  the  scriptures  .  .  .  for  they 
are  they  which  testify  of  me."  And 
always  "let  virtue  garnish  thy 
thoughts  unceasingly;  then  shall 
thy  confidence  wax  strong.  .  .  ." 

If  we  have  heeded  these  words, 
we  have  been  continually  increas- 
ing our  stores  of  faith,  hope,  and 
love,  of  courage  and  cheerfulness, 
of  wisdom  and  testimony,  and  of 
sympathy,  kindness,  and  forgive- 
ness. Spiritual  stores  have  a  mar- 
velous way  of  being  replenished  in 
double  measure  when  they  are 
given  away  and  used. 


By  Mabel  Jones  Gabbott 

Manuscript  Editor 

This  Christmas  from  your  warm- 
smelling  kitchen  and  from  your 
spiritual  storehouse  share  with 
your  friends  hot  bread  and  cinna- 
mon rolls,  with  accompanying  ex- 
pressions of  gratitude,  confidence, 
and  love;  sweet  rolls  with  orange 
icing,  wrapped  generously  in  cheer- 
fulness, faith,  caring;  and  hot  rolls, 
cut  in  dainty  small  twists  or  shaped 
in  man-sized  circles,  garnished  with 
kindness,  concern,  and  courage. 

It  has  been  done  before,  as  these 
stories  will  tell.  It  can  be  done 
again  and  again  and  again. 

1.  It  had  been  a  good  spiritual 
living  lesson,  but  the  teacher  was 
nervous.  Her  child,  ailing  with 
croup,  had  kept  her  up  most  of  the 
night.  The  stake  Relief  Society 
board  member  had  visited.  All  in 
all,  the  teacher  felt  unhappy.  Lis- 
tening and  sympathizing,  Dorothy 
had  sensed  the  teacher's  dissatis- 
faction with  herself.  That  evening 
Dorothy  took  a  loaf  of  warm  fresh 
bread  to  the  teacher's  home  with  a 
reassuring  word  of  gratitude  for  the 
lesson  taught.  This  is  Dorothy's 
bread  recipe: 


Dorothy's  Bread 

6  tablespoons  sugar 
2  tablespoons  salt 
6  tablespoons  shortening 
1  quart  scalded  milk 
1   package  dry  yeast 
12-14  cups  flour 


Mix  the  sugar,  salt,  and  shortening. 
Add  scalded  milk.  Cool.  When  the 
mixture  is  lukewarm,  add  the  yeast; 
then  add  4  cups  flour.  (This  may  be 
either  white  or  wheat.)  Mix.  Let  rise. 
Add  more  flour  until  the  dough  does 
not  stick  to  your  hands.  Let  rise  again. 
Mix  down  and  let  rise  once  more. 
Knead.  Cut  into  four  loaves.  Let  rise 
until  double  in  bulk.  Bake  at  420°  F. 
for  20  minutes,  then  at  320°  for  an- 
other 10  to  20  minutes. 

Or  make  only  two  loaves  of  bread. 
Roll  out  the  remaining  dough  for  two 
pans  of  cinnamon  rolls.  Roll  the  dough 
into  an  oblong  sheet  9"  x  18"  and 
spread  with  2  tablespoons  of  softened 
butter;  sprinkle  with  l/2  cup  raw  or 
brown  sugar,  2  teaspoons  cinnamon, 
and  y2  cup  raisins.  Beginning  with  the 
long  side,  roll  the  dough  as  for  a  jelly 
roll,  sealing  the  edge  by  pinching  the 
dough  with  fingers.  With  a  sharp  knife, 
cut  the  roll  into  %"  slices.  Place  cut 
side  down  on  baking  pan,  allowing  a 
little  space  for  rising.  Use  well-greased 
9"  x  13"  pan  or  muffin  cups.  Cover 
and  let  rise  until  double  in  bulk.  Bake 
25-30  minutes  at  350°  F. 

Wrap  a  warm  loaf  in  shiny  foil 
for  your  home  teacher  when  he 
makes  his  Christmas  visit,  and  ex- 
press your  thanks  to  him  for  his 
faithfulness.  Take  a  hot  loaf,  to- 
gether with  the  confidence  of  your 
testimony,  to  the  new  neighbor  on 
the  block,  or  the  nonmember  you 
have  meant  to  visit.  And  wouldn't 
the  bishop's  family  love  a  pan  of 
cinnamon  rolls,  delivered  with  an 
expression  of  your  love  for  their 
devotion  and  your  trust  in  their 
calling! 

2.  Early  one  December  morning, 
while  the  household  slept,  the 
mother  and  her  teenage  daughter 
moved  expertly  about  the  kitchen 


138 


with  whispered  excitement.  The 
chorus  members  would  be  there 
soon  for  breakfast  after  their  final 
early  morning  practice.  And  then 
the  doorbell  rang.  There  stood 
Mary,  beaming  with  cheerfulness 
and  offering  a  pan  of  warm  sweet 
rolls.  "Just  to  nelp  out  a  bit,"  she 
said. 

Mary's  Sweet  Rolls 

iy3  cups  milk 

3  tablespoons  sugar 
IV2  teaspoon  salt 
Y2  cup  salad  oil 
2  eggs 

2  packages  dry  yeast,   dissolved   in 
Y2    cup   water   with   2   teaspoons 
sugar  added 
5  cups  flour 

Heat  oven  to  425°  F.  Mix  all  in- 
gredients together.  Beat  well  with  a 
spoon.  Let  rise.  Knead  lightly.  This 
will  make  a  soft  dough.  Roll  one-half 
of  the  dough  at  a  time  into  a  rectangle. 
Cut  in  one-inch  strips  (about  12).  Dip 
in  butter  and  tie  in  knots.  Let  rolls  rise 
until  double  in  bulk.  Bake  in  preheated 
oven  at  425°  F.  8  to  10  minutes.  Mix 
1  cup  powdered  sugar  with  y2  cup 
orange  juice  and  orange  rind,  and  drip 
over  the  hot  rolls  right  from  the  oven. 

Are  you  involved  with  carolers, 
Christmas  cantatas,  or  school  or 
Church  practices,  where  sweet  rolls 
would  reinforce  encouragement 
and  confidence  in  their  perfor- 
mance? 

3.  Some  of  us  grow  old  and  some 
of  us  grow  wise.  Our  third  story 
involves  two  who  grew  old  and 
wise.  In  a  little  home  off  a  busy 
highway,  tucked  behind  heavily 
leafed,  ancient  trees,  lives  a  most 
wise  and  gracious  lady.  Myrtle 
grows  beautiful  flowers  and  writes 
delightful  poetry.  When  a  friend 
reached  the  age  of  75,  Myrtle  hon- 
ored her  with  a  luncheon,  graciously 
sharing  her  treasures  of  kindness, 
concern,  love,  and  courage.  Very 
special  among  the  items  on  the 
menu  were  Myrtle's  hot  rolls. 

Myrtle's  Hot  Rolls 

1   package  dry  yeast 
l/2   cup  warm  water 
IV2   teaspoons  salt 


Vi   cup  sugar 

2  eggs 
y3  cup  shortening 

1  cup  warm  milk 

5  cups  flour 

Soften  the  yeast  in  the  warm  water. 
Mix  the  salt,  sugar,  eggs,  shortening, 
and  milk.  Stir  in  the  yeast.  Add  5 
cups  flour  gradually.  Cover.  Let  rise. 
Remove  dough  from  mixing  bowl  and 
knead  well.  Roll  dough  y2"  thick  and 
form  into  rolls.   Bake  at  425°  F. 

Myrtle  cuts  small  rounds  of  the 
dough  and  folds  them  over  once  for 
dainty,  lady-like  rolls.  Just  the  right 
size  for  that  Christmas  luncheon 
you  have  been  meaning  to  plan  for 
the  loved  elderly  women  in  your 
ward. 

4.  And  not  the  least:  Welcome 
your  own  family  into  this  wonderful 
world  of  Christmas  baking  and 
spiritual  sharing.  Let  them  know 
you  love  them  most  of  all.  Let  your 
family  share  in  the  preparations,  in 
the  wrapping,  and  in  the  giving. 
Then  some  cold  frosty  morning  let 
them  awaken  to  the  delicious  aroma 
of  orange  muffins,  hot  from  the 
oven.  Our  favorite  recipe  is  made 
with  wholewheat  flour,  ground 
fresh  by  the  man  in  our  house. 

Wheat  Muffins 

1  egg,  beaten 

1  cup  milk 

2  tablespoons  raw  or  brown  sugar 

1  tablespoon  butter  or  oil 

2  cups  sifted  wholewheat  flour 
y2   teaspoon  salt 

3  teaspoons  baking  powder 

Combine  beaten  egg,  milk,  sugar,  and 
oil  or  melted  butter.  Sift  together  twice 
flour,  salt,  and  baking  powder,  and  add 
to  egg  mixture.  Stir  only  until  flour 
mixture  is  absorbed.  Bake  in  greased 
muffin  tins  20-30  minutes  at  375°  F. 
Substitute  orange  juice  for  one-third 
of  the  milk  and  add  two  tablespoons 
grated  orange  rind  to  the  flour  for  a 
delicious  orange  muffin.  Serve  with 
generous  expressions  of  affection  and 
gratitude  for  those  whom  you  love  and 
with  special  empathy  for  their  strivings 
and  their  yearnings. 

What  a  special  way  to  say  "Merry 
Christmas!  It's  a  wonderful  world! 
Welcome  to  the  love  we  have  for 
you  and  the  faith  we  have  in  you! 
Lean  on  our  testimonies,  and  be 
not  afraid!"  O 


Era,  December  1970    139 


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heu 


on  xn\s 
cnKisrmAS  oau 


•  Receiving  original  and  unusual 
Christmas  cards  is  one  of  the  joys 
of  the  holiday  season.  Especially 
blessed  are  the  friends  and  loved 
ones  of  Jennie  Knight  Mangum*  of 
Provo,  Utah,  who  personally  de- 
signs the  covers  for  her  cards  and 
sends  greetings  in  appropriate 
verses,  hand  penned,  on  the  inside. 

Jennie  Knight  Mangum  is  the 
daughter  of  Jesse  and  Amanda  Mc- 
Ewan  Knight.  Her  father  and  moth- 
er gave  unselfishly  to  help  build 
Provo  and  the  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity. Jennie,  following  the  coun- 
sel and  example  of  her  parents,  has 
also  given  unlimited  aid  and  service 
to  the  Church  and  to  the  univer- 
sity. Many  young  students  have 
been  blessed  by  the  generosity  of 
the  Jennie  Knight  Mangum  scholar- 
ship. 

Remembering  her  pioneer  heri- 
tage, Jennie  sent  to  her  friends  in 
1965  an  attractive  card,  picturing  a 
couple  in  pioneer  dress  following  a 
star  to  their  cabin,  with  the  dream 
of  the  temple  in  the  distance.  The 
verse  said  in  part: 

A  pioneer  couple 
Found  their  star, 
Ever  so  far— 
In  the  very  best 
High  mountain  lands. 
They  built  a  cabin 
With  their  hands. 
Warmth  glowed  within, 
Without  'twas  clear, 
A  guiding  star 
Had  led  them  here. 

Jennie  Knight  was  born  on  No- 
vember 7,  eighty-five  years  ago. 
She  attended  Brigham  Young  Uni- 
versity and  was  married  in  the  Salt 
Lake  Temple  on  September  6, 1905, 


to  W.  Lester  Mangum.  Eight  chil- 
dren were  born  to  them.  Her 
jewels,  she  says,  are  her  grand- 
children and  great-grandchildren. 
In  1966  her  Christmas  card  featured 
nine  great-grandchildren  peeking 
out  of  Christmas  bells  hanging  on 
the  tree.  Inside,  the  poem  said: 


Bells  peacefully  toll 

To  gladden  and  cheer, 
Binding  loved  ones  together, 

More  closely  and  near. 
This  year's  Christmas  tree 

Shields  treasured  bells  nine; 

Creat-grandchildren  these 
Are  proudly  claimed  mine. 

Other  Christmas  cards  have  fea- 
tured such  scenes  as  a  snow-covered 
tree  with  colorful  birds  in  flight, 
the  structural  beauty  of  a  gnarled 
old  tree,  and  a  lighted  candle.  Her 
words  in  the  latter  card  included 
this  stanza: 
The  struggle  of  man,  like  that  of  a 

tree, 
Is  reflected  in  the  gnarled  branch 

standing  free; 
Weathered  but  strong,   goals   gar- 
nered by  time 
Make  for  this  Christmas  a  symbol 
sublime. 

Through  the  years  Sister  Man- 
gum has  known  her  share  of  strug- 
gle and  has  gained  and  shared  her 
goals  and  her  strengths. 

Her  philosophy,  "Not  the  good 
that  comes  to  us,  but  the  good  that 
comes  to  the  world  through  us  is 
the  measure  of  success,"  is  a  heart- 
warming guide  for  us  this  Christ- 
mas season.  O 


°Christmas  cards,  courtesy  of  Mrs.  Henry  D. 
Taylor;  biographical  information,  courtesy  of 
Dorothy  O.  Rea. 


en:sign:ship\ 

:f or  future  times 


TheseTimes 


By  Dr.  G.  Homer  Durham 

Commissioner  and  Executive  Officer, 
Utah  System  of  Higher  Education 


•  "TheseTimes"  has  been  a  regu- 
lar monthly  feature  of  the  Im- 
provement Era  for  one-third  of  its 
73-year  history.  Beginning  in  the 
summer  of  1946,  it  pointed  to 
"Christ  versus  Marx"  as  the  major 
issue  of  the  century.  I  am  grateful 
for  the  privilege  afforded  me  these 
nearly  three  hundred  months  by 
the  editors.  I  have  assumed  full 
responsibility  for  each  monthly 
commentary,  while  recognizing  the 
responsibilities  attaching  to  having 
the  contributed  material  published 
in  the  Church  magazine. 
1  My  first  contributions  to  the 
Era  began  in  1934  under  the  edi- 
torship of  the  late  Harrison  R. 
Merrill  and  Elsie  Talmage  Brand- 
ley.  Occasional  articles  appeared 
over  the  next  12  years,  written 
from  the  British  Mission  and  from 
subsequent  academic  posts  at 
UCLA,  Utah  State  University, 
Swarthmore    College    in    Pennsyl- 


vania, and  the  University  of  Utah. 
In  1941  I  was  privileged  to  com- 
pile Gospel  Standards,  an  Im- 
provement Era  book,  which  was 
comprised  of  selections  from  the 
discourses  of  President  Heber  J. 
Grant,  a  founder  and  the  first 
business  manager  of  the  Era.  In 
1946,  following  the  great  second 
World  War,  with  wide  expansion  of 
the  Church  in  prospect,  the  grow- 
ing interest  of  its  members  in 
world  and  public  affairs,  I  was 
honored  with  the  invitation  to  sub- 
mit a  contribution  for  monthly 
publication.  Elder  Richard  L. 
Evans,  with  his  rare  skill  and  culti- 
vated art  for  concise,  meaningful 
expression,  provided  the  name, 
"These  Times,"  for  the  column. 
In  1952-53,  I  was  again  privi- 
leged to  compile  the  book  Gospel 
Ideals  for  the  Era,  selections  from 
the  writings  and  discourses  of 
President  David  0.  McKay. 


So  it  has  gone,  since  Editors 
Merrill  and  Brandley  first  encour- 
aged me,  36  years  ago.  The 
column,  since  1946,  has  had  to  be 
written  some  two  months  before 
publication.  It  has,  therefore,  been 
challenging  to  write  something 
that  would  not  be  outdated  by  the 
time  of  publication.  In  doing  so, 
effort  has  been  made  to  stimulate 
the  reader  to  think  a  matter 
through  for  himself,  to  study 
things  out  in  his  own  mind.  By  this 
means,  individuals,  as  citizens, 
can  react  positively  and  fruitfully 
to  the  world  of  events.  Too,  the 
column  has  been  conscious  of  the 
college-aged,  of  the  large  num- 
bers of  professional  people  that 
increasingly  characterize  member- 
ship in  The  Church  of  Jesus  Christ 
of  Latter-day  Saints.  Once  or  twice, 
rather  lengthy  analyses  have  ap- 
peared in  the  column.  An  example 
was  the  study  of  the  Church  and 
the  Ph.D.,  which  appeared  in  two 
consecutive  issues  in  the  1950s. 
When  the  Era  began  publication  in 
1897,  not  a  single  member  of  the 
Church  held  an  earned  Ph.D.  de- 
gree. By  1946,  when  "These 
Times"  began,  several  hundred 
had  joined  Joseph  F.  Merrill  and 
John  A.  Widtsoe,  the  Ph.D.  pio- 
neers of  1899.  In  December  1970, 
as  the  Era  and  "These  Times" 
terminate,  there  are  thousands  of 
Church  members  with  doctorates 
— presidents  of  stakes,  bishops, 
varieties  of  Church  officers,  as 
well  as  those  earned  and  held  by 
six  or  more  of  the  General  Au- 
thorities. I  have  especially  hoped 
that  the  Era's  readership  may  have 
received  the  encouragement  of 
faith  to  study  things  out  in  their 
own  minds,  to  be  anxiously  en- 
gaged in  good  causes  of  their  own 
free  will  and  choice,  and  not  re- 
quire to  be  commanded  in  all 
things  (see  D&C  58:26-29). 

In  retrospect,  concern  for  the 
home  and  family  life,  as  well  as 


Era,  December  1970    141 


"Our  LD.S.  background 
made  this  business 
opportunity  a  natural" 


"For  years  our  friends  and  relatives  have 
used  the  L.D.S.  method  of  trade,  but  not 
until  now  has  there  been  a  really  organized 
system.  With  our  new  Business  and  Pro- 
fessional Exchange  License  we  feel  there  is 
an  unlimited  potential  for  not  only  our 
customers  but  also  for  us."  These  are  the 
words  of  Mr.  &  Mrs.  Hugh  Yancey  of  West 
Los  Angeles. 

Two  other  well  known  L.D.S.  businessmen, 
Harold  F.  (Stew)  Stewart  and  Ross  Rigby, 
have  recently  purchased  the  B&PE  License 
for  Salt  Lake  City. 

Through  B&PE,  goods  and  services  can  be 
bartered  or  traded  for  painting,  dental  work, 
furniture,  appliances,  medical  services,  car- 
pet cleaning,  trust  deeds,  drapery,  tailoring, 
carpentry  and  a  wide  variety  of  other 
valuable  services  and  merchandise. 
No  money  ever  changes  hands.  B&PE  does 
everything.  Members  are  sent  monthly 
statements  showing  the  totals  of  their 
credits  and  purchases. 
B&PE  centers  are  being  located  across  the 
country  on  a  license  basis.  A  B&PE  license 
is  ideally  suited  for  a  husband  and  wife 
team.  A  small  investment  will  secure  you  a 
B&PE  License.  If  you  want  a  B&PE  ex- 
clusive license  for  your  city  ...phone,  write 


or  wire 


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Business  and  Professional  Exchange 

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Huge  savings  or  tiny,  all-in- 
the-ear,  behind  the  ear,  eye- 
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PRESTIGE,  Dept.  D-57    ,  Box  10947,  Houston,  Tex.  77018. 


STORE  FOR  SALE 

Groceries  and  General  Merchandise.    Good 
Mormon  community  in  rural  area.    Oppor- 
tunity to  rear  family  under  ideal  conditions 
and  get  ahead  financially. 
Inquire: 

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Honeyville,  Utah 


for  states  and  nations,  permeates 
the  series  from  its  beginnings  in 
1946.  A  welcome  and  prognosis 
for  a  truly  great  piece  of  LDS 
music  ("New  Music  for  the 
World"),  Leroy  J.  Robertson's  Ora- 
torio  from  the  Book  of  Mormon, 
also  appeared.  The  attempt  to 
provoke  and  stimulate  thoughtful 
individual  citizenship  has  been 
supplemented  with  other  cultural, 
social,  and  educational  concerns 
of  our  religion. 

All  this  is  to  say,  as  with  an 
earlier  Church  publication  during 
the  Nauvoo  period,  that  all  things 
have  their  times  and  seasons. 

So,  in  the  last  of  "These  Times" 
and  of  the  Era,  this  series  con- 
cludes with  a  comment  on  the  pos- 
sible significance  of  the  future 
magazine,  Ensign. 

The  name  Ensign  is  significant. 
The  Era's  predecessor  was  known 
as  the  Contributor.  The  Church 
had  acquired  a  modest  base  in 
Utah  Territory,  USA.  There  was 
need  to  encourage  and  cultivate 
the  literary  talents  of  the  people 
of  the  Church.  Then  in  1896, 
statehood  and  a  new  era  came  to 
Utah.  With  it,  in  1897,  came  the 
Improvement  Era.  In  the  next 
thirty  years,  the  first  stakes  ap- 
peared in  California,  an  extension 
from  the  several  stakes  in  Utah, 
Idaho,  and  Arizona,  and  one  each 
in  Alberta,  Canada;  Colorado,  and 
Mexico.  By  1970,  an  international 
church,  with  numerous  overseas 
missions,  has  experienced  what 
President  Joseph  Fielding  Smith 
has  termed  "an  almost  unbeliev- 
able expansion  of  the  work,"  in 
Latin  America,  Japan,  Korea,  Tai- 
wan, Singapore,  Thailand,  and 
Indonesia.  Today  there  are  stakes 
throughout  Europe,  the  Americas, 
and  the  Pacific  Basin.  From  1897 
to  1970  has  indeed  been  "an  im- 
provement era"! 

The  Church  is  growing  through- 
out the  world.   The  work  of  mani- 


142 


testing  Jesus  Christ  "unto  all  na- 
tions" is  now  properly  the  work  of 
ensignship. 

The  word  ensign,  in  the  Eng- 
lish language,  conveys  interesting 
meanings.  It  has  been  both  noun 
and  verb.  Both  words  were 
adapted  into  the  English  language 
in  the  late  fifteenth  century.  It  de- 
rives from  Latin,  through  Old 
French,  into  Middle  English.  The 
Latin  root  appears  to  have  been 
signum  (sign)  with  the  prefix  in 
attached. 

The  Oxford  Universal  Dictionary 
on  Historical  Principles  (3d.  ed., 
1955)  indicates  that  ensign  as 
verb  appeared  first  in  strength. 
This  was  about  the  year  1474,  in 
Middle  English.  It  meant  "to  indi- 
cate." A  secondary  meaning  was 
"to  direct  to  an  object;  to  instruct; 
to  teach"  (1598).  About  the  same 
time,  the  word  began  to  be  used  as 
the  verb  "to  mark  with  a  distinc- 
tive sign  or  badge."  By  1600, 
ensignment  (ensign  plus  ment) 
carried  the  meaning  of  "instruc- 
tion; a  lesson;  or  a  means  of  in- 
struction." 

The  use  of  ensign  as  a  verb, 
with  the  above  significances,  has 
largely  become  obsolete.  The  new 
magazine  may  revive  it!  Meantime, 
some  of  these  older  historical  verb 
usages  have  entered  the  noun.  It 
may  well  be,  as  a  consequence  of 
the  new  magazine  and  its  future 
worldwide  mission  and  influence, 
that  a  historical  dictionary  of  the 
twenty-first  century  could  well  as- 
sert that  "the  noun,  ensign,  re- 
acquired some  of  its  former  verb 
meanings,  such  as  to  direct  to  an 
object  or  objective,  to  instruct,  to 
teach,  as  a  consequence  of  Mor- 
mon activity  in  the  late  twentieth 
century." 

Ensign,  as  noun,  acquired  mean- 
ing as  "a  signal  or  battle  cry," 
principally  in  Scotland,  by  about 
1573.  A  secondary  meaning 
(growing  out  of  the  verb),  a  noun 


for  "sign  or  token,"  parallels  the 
first  use  of  the  word  as  a  verb 
about  the  year  1474.  By  1579 
ensign  meant  an  "emblem  or 
badge,"  and  "a  naval  or  military 
standard  or  banner."  This  mean- 
ing has  more  or  less  continued  in 
the  English  language.  When  the 
King  James  Bible  appeared  about 
1611,  for  example,  the  references 
in  Isaiah  (translated  from  Greek 
and  Latin  texts)  appear  thus: 

"And  in  that  day  there  shall  be 
a  root  of  Jesse,  which  shall  stand 
for  an  ensign  of  the  people;  to  it 
shall  the  Gentiles  seek.  .  .  . 

"And  [the  Lord]  shall  set  up  an 
ensign  for  the  nations,  and  shall 
assemble  the  outcasts  of  Israel, 
and  gather  together  the  dispersed 
of  Judah  from  the  four  corners  of 
the  earth."  (Isa.  11:10,  12.  Italics 
added.) 

The  word  is  used  in  the  same 
light  in  Doctrine  and  Covenants 
64:41-42: 

"For,  behold,  I  say  unto  you  that 
Zion  shall  flourish,  and  the  glory 
of  the  Lord  shall  be  upon  her; 

"And  she  shall  be  an  ensign 
unto  the  people,  and  there  shall 
come  unto  her  out  of  every  nation 
under  heaven."  (Italics  added.) 

By  1650,  ensign  was  occasion- 
ally used  in  a  special  sense  to  de- 
note "a  company  or  troop  under 
one  banner."  The  soldier  who 
carried  the  banner,  the  ensign 
himself,  had  become  known  as  "an 
ensign"  by  the  year  1513.  Thus, 
gradually  the  company  or  troop 
who  followed  the  "ensign"  (or 
banner)  carried  by  "the  ensign" 
(the  banner  carrier)  also  became 
known,  frequently,  as  an  ensign. 
This  use  of  the  noun  became  obso- 
lete, as  did  the  designation  of  rank 
for  the  British  soldier  banner-car- 
rier. However,  in  1886,  the  United 
States  Navy  designated  its  pres- 
ent, beginning  commissioned  offi- 
cer as  an  ensign.  This  designation 
has  continued  in  that  organization. 


Ensign  is  thus  a  word  rich  in 
meaning.  Its  historical  derivation 
and  uses,  both  as  verb  and  noun, 
are  peculiarly  fitting  to  the  new 
publication.  The  word  Era  con- 
tinues in  the  New  Era  youth  mag- 
zine.  That  is  good.  And  the 
Friend  will  extend  its  pages  to 
children  everywhere. 

Let  us  hope,  as  these  times 
move  into  future  times,  that  the 
Friend  will  lead  many  bright-eyed 
children  into  a  New  Era;  and  that 
Ensign  will  "ensign,"  instruct, 
teach,  and  direct  all  to  the  grand 
objectives  of  the  kingdom  of  God. 

From  ensign,  it  is  possible  to 
coin  a  new  word — "ensignship," 
meaning  the  application  of  crea- 
tive intelligence  as  service  to 
others. 

Not  everyone  can  write  for  the 
Ensign,  New  Era,  and  Friend,  any 
more  than  all  who  contributed  to 
the  Contributor  or  Era  saw  their 
words  in  print.  But  if  world  tele- 
vision, movies,  and  theater  are  to 
have  joyous  (not  sordid),  intelli- 
gent, uplifting  (not  depressing) 
productions,  someone  must  write 
and  create  the  books,  articles, 
plays,  dramas,  sketches,  scenarios 
for  such.  And  many,  many  more 
must  joyously  live  and  work,  to  in- 
spire the  creative  artists  to  so 
create,  write,  and  produce.  If 
pornography  is  to  be  relegated  into 
disuse,  some  must  produce  and 
circulate  the  better  art  and  litera- 
ture. Good  is  more  powerful  than 
evil.  Good  can  overcome  evil. 
But  someone  will  have  to  write, 
speak,  and  act  the  better  plays, 
compose  the  better  music,  create 
the  more  attractive  art.  These  are 
a  few  of  the  great  opportunities 
ahead.  The  creative  and  lively  arts 
have  been  particularly  significant 
in  affecting  human  conduct  and 
behavior  during  these  times.  They 
will  have  greater  influence  in  the 
future.  This  will  require  "ensign- 
ship,"  in  many,  many  fields.        o 


Era,  December  1970    143 


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End  of  an  Era 


Life  Among 
the  Mormons 


During  his  opening 
remarks  at  a  stake 
conference,    our   stake 
president  discreetly  said 
that  occasionally  the 
crying  of  small  babies 
might  disrupt  the 
speaker  as  well  as  the 
congregation  in  a 
church  meeting.      If  this 
should  happen,  he 
continued  diplomatically, 
it  might  be  well  if  the 
parent  were  to  take 
the  child  out  long  enough 


to  soothe  and  quiet  it. 
Precisely  at  that 
moment  an  infant   on  the 
front  row  began  to  wail, 
and  his  embarrassed 
mother  hurriedly  took 
the  long  walk  to  the  foyer, 
The  president  beamed. 
"Brothers  and  sisters," 
he  exclaimed,   "just  how 
often  does  a  speaker 
have  such  a  cooperative 
visual  aid  as  this?" 
-Helen  S.  Phillips, 
Denver,  Colorado 


The  compass  of  the  spirit 
of  Christmas  points  constantly 
toward  others,  never  toward 
ourselves,  except  to  beckon  us  in 
to  the  realm  of  service    > 
and  comradeship.  The  spirit  of 
Christmas  is  ever  buoyant,  never 
earth-bound  or  grounded 
by  accumulated  mundane 
things.  It  soars  over  by  the 
lifting  wings  of  love  and 
distils  its  blessings,  even  as 
the  dews  from  heaven. 

— Elder  Hugh  B.  Brown 

Two  spinsters  were  discussing 
men.  "Which  would  you 
desire  most  in  a  husband — 
brains,  wealth,  or  appearance?" 
asked  one.   "Appearance," 
said  the  other,  "and  the  sooner 
the  better." 


A  woman  in  the  suburbs 
was  chatting  over  the  back  fence 
with  her  next-door 
neighbor.   "We're  going  to  live 
in  a  better  neighborhood 
soon,"  she  said.   "So  are  we," 
volunteered  the  neighbor, 
confidently.   "What?  Are 
you  moving  too?"   "No,  we 
are  staying  here." 

Christmas  is  a  time 

for  laughter,  a  time  of  good 

cheer,  a  time  to  sing,  a 

time  of  happiness.    But  it  is  also 

a  time  to  pray,  a  time  to  give 

thanks,   a  time  of  appreciation, 

a  time  of  genuine  worship 

of  the  Prince  of  Peace, 

whose  birth  ushered  in  the 

true  Christmas. 

— Elder  Mark  E.  Petersen 


No  man  who  is  in  a  hurry 
is  ever  quite  civilized. 

—Will  Durrant 

"What  are  you  children 
playing?"  asked  mother  one 
day.   "We're  playing 
church, "  replied  her 
six-year-old  son.    "How 
nice,"  said  mother, 
"but  worshipers  shouldn't 
whisper  in  church. " 
"We  know  that,  mother, " 
the  son  replied,  "but  we're 
in  the  choir. " 

Impatient  man  (outside 
phone  booth) :  Can  I  help  you 
find  the  number  you  want? 
Young  woman  (sweetly) : 
Oh,  I  don't  want  a  number.  I'm 
looking  for  a  pretty  name 
for  my  baby. 

We  are  always  more  anxious 
to  be  distinguished  for 
a  talent  ivhich  we  do  not  possess 
than  to  be  praised  for  the 
fifteen  which  we  do  possess. 
— Mark  Twain 

To  profit  from  good  advice 
requires  more  wisdom  than 
to  give  it. 

— John  Churton  Collins, 
English  literary  critic 

Teacher:  Why  are  you  so 
late?   Bobby:  It's  so  windy  outside 
that  every  time  I  took  one 
step  forward,  I  slid  back  two. 
Teacher:  At  that  rate,  how 
did  you  get  here  at  all? 
Bobby:  I  finally  give  up  trying 
and  turned  around  to  go  home. 


144 


• 


f 


TeEra 
of  Youth 


"i/larion  D.  Hanks 
and    laine  Cannon,  Editors 


ecember  1970 


aJP* 


nun  in 


and  again 

and  auain  in 


this  issue 


we  remind  vou  to  make  this  your  most  beautiful  Christmas 


Era.  December  J 970     145 


By  Kenneth  W.  Godfrey 


•  I  love  all  of  those  famous  scriptures  that  tell 
the  story  of  the  first  Christmas,  and  I  whole- 
heartedly agree  that  such  verses  as  ".  .  .  Joseph 
also  went  up  from  Galilee  .  .  .to  be  taxed  with 
Mary  his  espoused  wife,  being  great  with  child" 
(Luke  2:4-5)  are  what  Christmas  is  really  all 
about.  I  am  also  moved  by  the  glitter  of  the  tinsel, 
the  hurrying,  friendly,  cheerful  crowds,  and  the 
tang  of  the  Christmas  air,  filled  with  "Deck  the 
Halls/'  "Away  in  a  Manger,"  and  "  O  Come  All 
*Ye  Faithful."  Yet  my  favorite  Christmas  scrip- 
tures number  three,  all  having  a  common  theme. 
I  confess  that  I  have  never  heard  them  quoted 
alone,  and  I  have  never  talked  with  anyone  who 
has  said  they  were  their  favorite  scriptures,  and 
as  far  as  I  know  they  have  never  been  the  central 
theme  for  an  eloquent  sermon  or  an  oratorio. 

My  favorite  Christmas  scriptures  are :  "And  the 
shepherds  returned,  glorifying  and  praising  God 
for  all  the  things  that  they  had  heard  and  seen" 
(Luke  2:20)  ;  and  "being  warned  of  God  in  a 
dream  ,-..  .  they  [the  wise  men]  departed  into 
their  own  country  another  way"  (Matt.  2:12)  ; 
and  finally,  "And  he  came  and  dwelt  in  a  city 
called  Nazareth  .  .  ."  (Matt,  2:33).  The  reason 
the  scriptures  appeal  to  me  is  because  they  indi-4 
cate  that  after  all  of  the  excitement,  the  wonder- 


ment, the  frills,  and  the  awe  of  the  first  Christmas 
were  over,  the  wise  men  returned  home  and  the 
shepherds  returned  to  their  sheep.  Though  they 
had  heard  an  angelic  choir,  had  seen  the  Son  of 
God,  still  the  real  test  came  as  they  returned  to 
their  flocks  and  to  the  day-by-day  tasks  of  shep- 
herding them.  The  wise  men,  who  had  traveled  so 
far,  returned  home,  forever  lost  in  obscurity.  They 
had  given  presents  to  the  Christ  child,  yet  failed 
to  present  him  with  the  greatest  gift  of  all — 
discipleship.  One  wonders  why  they  were  not  the 
Peters,  the  Pauls,  the  Andrews,  and  the  Johns. 

And  Jesus  himself  went,  with  Joseph  and  Mary, 
to  a  town  where  he  would  become  a  man.  Though 
angels  announced  his  birth,  the  heavens  declared 
his  arrival,  and  choirs  of  heavenly  beings  sang 
his  praises,  yet  he  alone  could  have  "sold  his  birth- 
right" had  he  lived  other  than  a  perfect  life. 

I  was  always  impressed  with  the  fact  that  after 
a  whole  night  of  conversation  with  the  angel 
Moroni,  the  morning  found  Joseph  Smith  in  the 
fields  working.  Such  is  the  test  of  our  devotion 
of  Christ.  Can  we  be  his  disciples  while  washing 
dishes,  at  a  high  school  basketball  game,  on  a  date, 
in  a  science  exam,  with  Mom  and  Dad?  In  the 
daily,  often  boring  aspects  of  life,  can  we  be 
Christlike,  or  only  when  we  hear  heavenly  choirs, 


Illustrated  by  Phyllis  Lucft 


k>g€R  sceve  lobXc? 


p*^« 


i  * 


>: 


■>»• 


*l^&3»fii^^ 


tidiiWP'  * 


>■ 


.*! 


#' 


talk  with  angels,  or  win  acclaim  from  our  asso- 
ciates ? 

"And  the  shepherds  returned,"  "they  departed 
into  their  own  country,"  and  "he  came  and  dwelt 
in  a  city  called  Nazareth"  serve  to  remind  me 
further  that  the  Christmas  spirit  should  last  all 
year. 

This  spirit  should  be  like  that  of  the  family  who, 
upon  receiving  word  on  Christmas  Eve  that  a 
grandfather  was  seriously  ill  in  a  hospital  800 
miles  away,  found  themselves  in  a  station  wagon, 
hurrying  to  his  aid.  Though  the  night  was'  dark 
and  the  road  long,  still  they  had  to  make  the 
journey.  Dawn  found  them  outside  a  small 
community  in  Nevada.  With  the  dawn  came 
wakening  children.  Even  the  anxiety  over  the 
grandfather's  condition  could  not  hide  the  joy  in 
the  mother's  eyes  as  she  saw  the  wonderment,  the 
thrill  as  they  looked  at  all  their  presents  and  won- 
dered how  Santa  Claus  could  have  delivered  them 
while  they  traveled  in  their  car.  Years  later  the 
family  would  remember  this  as  their  most  excit- 
ing Christmas.  Why?  Not  only  because  of  the 
uniqueness  of  Santa  Claus  delivering  presents  in 
a  rapidly  moving  station  wagon,  but  also  because 
they  were  thinking  of,  caring  about,  and  hurrying 
to  their  grandfather. 


Dietrich  Bonhoeffer,  a  modern  Christian  mar- 
tyr, called  Christ  "the  man  for  others."  As  has 
been  said  so  many  times,  this  is  the  true  test  of 
our  devotion  to  him  whose  name  we  bear.  Martin 
Luther  put  it  this  way : 

"The  Virgin  Mary,  after  she  had  heard  the 
amazing  news  that  she  was  to  be  the  mother  of  the 
Savior,  instead  of  sitting  back  to  preen  herself 
went  on  with  the  housework.  How  strange.  The 
shepherds,  too  having  seen  and  adored  the  Babe, 
went  back  to  their  flocks.  Surely  that  is  wrong. 
Surely  the  passage  would  read,  they  went  and 
shaved  their  heads,  fasted,  told  their  rosary  beads, 
and  put  on  monk's  hoods.  Instead  the  Bible  tells 
us,  they  returned,  where  to?  To  their  sheep.  The 
sheep  would  have  been  in  sorry  plight  if  they 
hadn't.  It  is  what  a  man  or  woman  has  done  for 
others  that  will  count  on  Judgment  Day." 

So  after  the  presents  are  opened,  the  toys 
played  with,  and  while  the  Christmas  dinner  is 
digesting,  I  try  to  resolve  anew  to  return  to  my 
sheep,  to  my  work,  and  to  my  covenant  of 
discipleship,  and  then  I  know  that  that  "silent 
night,  holy  night,"  when  all  was  calm  and  all  was 
bright,  can  be  as  real  for  me  all  year  as  it  was 
for  the  shepherds  and  the  wise  men  that  first 
Christmas  two  thousand  years  ago.  O 


Our  concern  must  be  to  impress  our  associates  with  the  fact  there  is  a 
better  tomorrow,  and  it  belongs  to  those  who  live  for  it!  Forgiveness  and 
repentance  are  action  principles.  What  a  blessing  it  is  in  our  lives  when 
we  come  to  realize  there  is  hope  and  help  for  all  of  us  in  the  days  ahead, 
regardless  of  where  we  find  ourselves  at  this  hour. 

— Elder  Marvin  J.  Ashton 


conference 


In  today's  world  of  confusion  and  conflict,  the  life  and  teachings  of  Jesus 
of  Nazareth  stand  alone  as  the  certain  solution  to  man's  problems.  No 
greater  opportunity  or  blessing  can  come  into  the  life  of  a  young  man 
than  to  be  called  and  ordained  to  the  Aaronic  Priesthood,  thus  being  author- 
ized to  act  for  him  who  gave  his  life  on  Calvary. 

— Bishop  Victor  L.  Brown 


Is  there  a  valid  case  for  virtue?  It  is  the  only  way  to  freedom  from  regret. 
The  peace  of  conscience  which  flows  therefrom  is  the  only  personal  peace 
that  is  not  counterfeit.  And  beyond  all  of  this  is  the  unfailing  promise 
of  God  to  those  who  walk  in  virtue.  Declared  Jesus  of  Nazareth,  speaking 
on  the  mountain,  "Blessed  are  the  pure  in  heart,  for  they  shall  see  God." 
That  is  a  covenant,  made  by  him  who  has  the  power  to  fulfill. 

— Elder  Gordon  B.  Hinckley 


One  of  the  most  wasteful  wastes  in  the  world  is  the  waste  of  time,  of 
opportunity,  of  creative  effort,  with  indifference  to  learning,  indifference 
to  work — the  don't-care,  drop-out,  what's-the-use  attitude.  And  of  the 
steadying  factors  in  life — one  that  would  reduce  restlessness,  protest,  and 
discontent  would  be  for  all  of  us  to  use  in  more  useful  ways  the  best  of 
our  abilities,  with  some  awareness  that  the  Father  of  us  all  might  some- 
how, sometime  shake  us  and  say,  "I  have  given  you  life.  Now  you  make 
the  most  of  it!" 

— Elder  Richard  L.  Evans 


mm' 


Love  is  manifest  in  charity  of  the  soul.  Love  is  not  real  when  one  demands 
attentions  and  fancied  needs,  then  is  not  appreciative  of  them  and  gives 
nothing  in  return  for  favors  received.  That  attitude  is  one  of  pure  selfish- 
ness and  reflects  a  lack  of  gratitude,  decency,  and  respect.  Such  a  person 
is  self -centered  and  cares  not  for  his  failure  to  acknowledge  courtesy  or 
express  thanks  and  appreciation.  Love  is  the  purification  of  the  heart.  It 
strengthens  character  and  gives  a  higher  motive  and  a  positive  aim  to 
every  action  of  life.  The  power  to  love  truly  and  devotedly  is  the  noblest 
gift  with  which  a  human  being  can  be  endowed. 

— Elder  Delbert  L.  Stapley 


J  bear  you  my  witness  that  I  have  obtained  for  myself  a  personal  knowl- 
edge that  the  Book  of  Mormon  is  all  the  Prophet  Joseph  said  it  is;  that 
from  it  radiates  the  spirit  of  prophecy  and  revelation;  that  it  teaches  in 
plain  simplicity  the  great  doctrines  of  salvation  and  the  principles  of 
righteous  conduct  calculated  to  bring  men  to  Christ;  that  familiarity  with 
its  spirit  and  obedience  to  its  teachings  will  move  every  contrite  soul  to 
fervently  pray  with  David,  "Create  in  me  a  clean  heart,  O  God;  and  renew 
a  right  spirit  within  me."  (Ps.  51:10.) 

— Elder  Marion  G.  Romney 


Era,  December  1970    149 


•  "Wipe  your  feet  on  that  rug!"  warned  Mark 
Severin,  senior  patrol  leader  of  Troop  108,  as 
each  boy  entered  the  ancient  log  Scout  house. 
Mark's  fair  skin  was  a  sharp  contrast  to  his  dark, 
neatly  combed  hair.  The  trousers  of  his  Scout 
uniform  inched  a  little  closer  toward  his  calf  each 
week,  and  the  sleeves  appeared  to  shrink.  But  it 
seemed  a  waste  to  buy  a  new  uniform  now  that 
he  was  almost  ready  for  Exploring.  If  only  he 
could  finish  his  Eagle  requirements. 

When  the  meeting  was  over,  Mark  stayed  be- 
hind. Joe  Palmer,  his  Scoutmaster,  was  sitting  at 
the  table  straightening  papers.  He  looked  up  at 
Mark.  "Say,  Mark,  when  are  you  going  to  move 
ahead  on  your  service  project?  Can't  get  your 
Eagle  without  it,  you  know." 

"I  know,"  Mark  replied.  "That's  what  I  want 
to  talk  to  you  about,  Brother  Palmer.  Over 
Thanksgiving,  my  family  and  I  decided  about  this 
service  project." 

"Good.   What  is  it?"  Joe  asked. 

"I  want  to  sub  for  Santa."  Mark  watched  Joe's 
jaws  drop  in  amazement. 

"You're  too  skinny,  boy.  I  know — you  really 
want  me  to  stand  in  for  you.  Right?"  And  Joe 
patted  his  ample  middle. 

Mark  laughed.    "Hadn't  thought  of  that." 

"How  do  you  propose  to  earn  money  for  a  thing 
like  this?"  Joe  asked.  "You're  not  loaded — we 
know  that.  Are  you  sure  you  haven't  got  a  tiger 
by  the  tail?" 

"How  did  you  know  what  I  had  planned  to  do?" 


"I  don't  follow  you,  Mark.  How  would  I  know 
what?"   Joe  was  puzzled. 

"Well — that  'tiger  by  the  tail'  bit.  I  had  planned 
to  rent  the  film  The  Tiger  Walks."  Brother  Palmer 
laughed  heartily  at  the  coincidence.  "Perhaps  I 
could  get  permission  to  use  the  cultural  hall.  I 
figure  this  is  a  community  project  because  the 
residents  can  participate  in  an  unselfish  effort  by 
supporting  the  movie.  Here's  a  sample  of  a  ticket 
I've  typed."  It  read : 

"The  Tiger  Walks" 

Second  Ward 

December  15 

Suggested  Contribution : 

Adults  75c  Children  35c 

Mark  continued,  "I'd  sell  popcorn  and  candy  to 
make  extra  money.  The  proceeds  would  provide 
Christmas  for  a  family.  I'd  learn  a  lot  in  a  service 
project  of  this  kind." 

"A  whole  lot,"  agreed  Joe.  "What  happens  if 
you  don't  have  a  good  turnout  for  the  movie  and 
you  don't  make  much  money?" 

"It  just  has  to  succeed.  If  the  troop  could  also 
sell  tickets  and  put  up  chairs  and  help  sell  pop- 
corn and  candy  that  night,  it  would  make  them  a 
part  of  the  project.  They'd  be  giving  of  them- 
selves this  Christmas." 

"What  about  a  prospective  family?" 

"Mom  called  the  community  council  for  needy 
families.  We  can  get  one  all  right,"  Mark  replied. 

"I  suppose  you  know  this  will  take  your  own 


Christmas,"  Joe  warned. 

"Of  course.  I'm  not  asking  for  a  thing  for 
myself.  You  know,  I  never  realized  there  are 
people  who  wouldn't  have  any  Christmas  if  some- 
one didn't  sub." 

Joe  nodded.  "We're  behind  you  all  the  way, 
Mark.   I  think  you've  got  a  great  idea." 

The  two  weeks  following  were  busy  ones.  Even 
in  school  Mark  found  himself  worrying  over  all 
the  details  that  must  be  handled.  But  when  every- 
thing was  over,  Mark  was  overjoyed  when  he 
counted  his  proceeds.  He  had  over  $70  profit.  He 
was  amazed  to  have  a  few  people  at  church  shake 
his  hand  and  say,  "Here's  a  little  money  for  your 
project,"  or  to  donate  something  special  for  the 
cause. 

The  agency  assigned  him  a  family  consisting  of 
a  mother  and  her  two  small  children — a  boy,  4, 
and  a  girl,  6.  Mark  and  his  mother  went  to  call 
on  Mrs.  Smith  to  ascertain  the  family's  Christmas 
needs.  When  she  greeted  them  at  the  door,  she 
couldn't  mask  her  disappointment.  She  brushed 
her  hand  across  her  forehead.  "But  I  thought  only 
rich  people  did  this.  And  they've  sent  a  boy!" 
She  managed  to  check  the  tears. 

"I'm  sure  we  can  provide  a  good  Christmas  for 
your  children.  What  do  they  need?"  Mrs.  Severin 
asked.  Armed  with  the  list,  Santa's  Subs  went  to 
work. 

Christmas  morning  Mark  woke  before  anyone 
else.  "Merry  Christmas,  everybody!"  he  shouted. 
He  felt  deliriously  happy.    As  the  Severins  were 


opening  packages,  the  telephone  rang.  Mark 
picked  up  the  receiver.  "Merry  Christmas!"  he 
greeted  cheerily. 

"Santa?"  the  voice  asked  tentatively. 

Mark,  recognizing  Mrs.  Smith's  voice,  replied, 
"Yes."  Then  silence  on  the  other  end.  His  heart 
sank — had  he  failed  ? 

"I — "  More  silence.  Then,  "I  just  want  you  to 
know  that  a  boy  has  given  us  the  most  wonderful 
Christmas  we've  ever  had.  How  can  I  ever  thank 
you  7"  Mark  could  hear  the  Smith  children  clamor- 
ing to  talk  to  him.  For  the  next  half  hour  they 
excitedly  told  him  what  a  wonderful,  wonderful 
Christmas  this  was. 

As  he  hung  up  the  receiver,  his  brown  eyes 
were  shining.  "Golly,  this  is  the  neatest  Christ- 
mas I  ever  had!  Thinking  of  others  and  doing 
for  them — even  people  I  didn't  know — is  the  real 
spirit  of  Christmas!" 

Two  weeks  later  Mark  sat  on  the  cement  floor 
of  the  Scout  cabin  as  Joe  Palmer  listened  to  his 
report  of  his  Eagle  project.  Joe  asked,  "What  do 
you  think  you  really  learned  from  this  undertak- 
ing— aside  from  the  thrill  of  giving?" 

"I  learned  that  you  can't  do  anything  worth- 
while alone.  It  took  my  whole  family  and  the  guys 
in  the  troop." 

"Anything  else?"  Joe  prodded. 

"Yes,  I  never  before  realized  how  much  my  mom 
helps  me,  in  so  many  ways.  Now  I  know  why  an 
Eagle  Scout's  mother  is  always  given  a  pin  along 
with  her  son."  q 


(A  true  story) 

By  Dora  D.  Flack 

Illustrated  by  Dale  Kilbourn 


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"Give  way;  go  on  giving  way;  be  superior  to  all 
provocation  this  single  summer  through.  .  .  ." 

•  It  seemed  strange  that  the  words  of  the  old 
letter  in  the  strongbox  carried  with  it  for  me  the 
fragrance  of  Christmas;  there  was  no  mention 
whatever  of  Christ  and  the  Yuletide.  Yet  as  I 
thought  about  it  later,  and  meditated,  the  feeling 
was  there.  I  read  again  the  entreaty  of  Colonel 
Thomas  L.  Kane  to  Brigham  Young  in  a  personal 
letter  dated  July  5,  1858 : 

"Give  way;  go  on  giving  way;  be  superior  to  all 
provocation  this  single  summer  through.  .  .  ." 

Johnston's  army  was  east  of  Salt  Lake  Valley, 
poised  to  march  into  the  city  and  carry  out  their 
mission  of  suppression.  The  Saints  were  deter- 
mined to  resist ;  they  had  been  driven  and  mobbed 
and  imposed  upon  quite  enough. 

Colonel  Kane,  resolute  friend  of  the  Church, 
wrote  to  President  Young,  urging  forbearance 
"this  single  summer  through,"  pledging  his  ef- 
forts to  bring  about  a  sensible  settlement,  and 
offering  his  assurance  that  it  could  be  accom- 
plished. 

It  happened  just  as  Colonel  Kane  promised. 
Johnston's  army  crossed  the  valley,  leaving  the 
people  and  their  city  undisturbed.  The  new  gov- 
ernor of  the  territory  was  welcomed,  an  accom- 
modation reached,  and  a  tragedy  averted. 

What  has  this  to  do  with  Christmas? 


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By  Marion  D.  Hanks 


Everything ! 

Christmas  is  much  more  than  the  celebration  af 
a  day  or  an  event;  it  is  a  season  of  appreciation 
for  life,  for  a  plan  to  live  it,  for  Godly  love,  for 
the  gift  of  salvation.  Christ  is  the  heart  of  all 
this,  and  among  the  things  he  showed  and  taught 
was  the  way  of  forgiveness,  patience — the  way  of 
superiority  over  provocation. 

In  every  community  there  are  those  suffering 
from  injustice,  those  who  smart  under  the  sting 
of  unfairness.  Quarrels,  estrangement,  bitterness 
abide  over  wrongs  often  not  even  clearly  re- 
membered. 

The  Lord's  teaching  was  that  we  forgive,  cleanse 
our  souls,  renovate  and  regenerate  our  lives.  The 
spirit  of  Christ  must  be  poured  in,  cleansing, 
purifying,  transforming,  making  sweet.  Then  we. 
can  show  mercy.  Then  we  can  return  good  for 
evil,  overcome  evil  with  good.  Then  we  can  cross 
the  room,  or  the  street,  or  the  city,  and  make  right 
the  wrong,  real  or  fancied.  We  can  eradicate  re- 
sentments, bitterness,  hate.  We  can  be  whole 
again. 

Are  we  wronged?  misunderstood?  not  appre- 
ciated? misjudged?  threatened?  persecuted? 
forced  to  go  an  unwilling  mile? 

"Give  way;  go  on  giving  way;  be  superior  to  all 
provocation  this  single  summer  through.  .  .  ." 

Then  it  will  be  a  Merry  Christmas  for  sure — 
and  a  Happy  New  Year.  O 

Illustrated  by  Phyllis  Luch 


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Here  is  a  collection  of  Christmas  quotes  to 

enrich  your  understanding  of  the  occasion 

and  your  delight  in  the  season. 

From  3  Nephi,  chapter  one: 
8.   But  behold,  they  did  watch  steadfastly  for 
that  day  and  that  night  and  that  day  which  should 
be  as  one  as  if  there  were  no  night,  that  they 
might  know  that  their  faith  had  not  been  vain. 

12.  And  it  came  to  pass  that  he  [Nephi]  cried 
mightily  unto  the  Lord,  all  the  day;  and  behold, 
the  voice  of  the  Lord  came  unto  him,  saying: 

13.  Lift  up  your  head  and  be  of  good  cheer; 
for  behold,  the  time  is  at  hand,  and  on  this  night 
shall  the  sign  be  given,  and  on  the  morrow  come 
I  into  the  world,  to  show  unto  the  world  that  I  will 
fulfill  all  that  which  I  have  caused  to  be  spoken 
by  the  mouth  of  my  holy  prophets. 

14.  And  behold,  the  time  is  at  hand,  and  this 
night  shall  the  sign  be  given. 

21.  And  it  came  to  pass  also  that  a  new  star 
did  appear,  according  to  the  word. 


Some  day  that  ever  'gainst  that  season  comes 
Wherein  our  Saviour's  birth  is  celebrated, 
The  bird  of  dawning  singeth  all  night  long; 
And  then,  they  say,  no  spirit  can.  walk  abroad ; 
The  nights  are  wholesome ;  then  no  planets  strike, 
No  fairy  takes,  nor  witch  hath  power  to  charm, 
So  hallow'd  and  so  gracious  is  the  time. 

— Shakespeare  (Hamlet,  Act.  1,  sc.  1.) 


By  Pat  Hardman,.  age  15 


all  the  stars  in  the  heaven 
could  not  shine  enough 
for  that  one  night, 
so  they  chose  one  star 
and  gave  it  the  brightness 
all  the  rest  would  have  had. 

and  it  went  before  the  others- 

a  guide, 

a  hope, 

a  never-again. 

all  earth's  lifetime 

and  a  hundred  billion  hearts 

could  not  redeem  themselves 

with  their  own  pain. 

One  soul  took  all 

that  they  had  ever  felt — 

and  breaking,  set  them  free. 

a  star  and  Christ — 

never-agains, 

things  to  always  reach  for, 

always  alone,  never  equaled. 


By  President  S.  Dilworth  Young 

Of  the  First  Council  of  the  Seventy 

The  snow  is  on  the  land ; 

The  hay  is  in  the  barn — 

The  cattle  sheltered  warm. 

If  any  of  thy  people,  Lord, 

Are  cold, 

Lead  thou  them  here 

Where  food  and  warming  heart 

Abound. 

Around  my  hearth 

May  there  be  found 

The  needy  poor. 

What  need  at  Christmas  time 

To  have  expensive  gifts 

From  greater  ones 

If  I  can  give 

Thy  blessed  gifts  of  earth 

To  needy  sons  ? 


By  Phillips  Brooks 


Said  Jesus  to  his  people  on  the  western  hemi- 
sphere : 

"Behold  I  have  given  unto  you  my  gospel,  and 
this  is  the  gospel  which  I  have  given  unto  you — 
that  I  came  into  the  world  to  do  the  will  of  my 
Father,  because  my  Father  sent  me. 

"And  my  Father  sent  me  that  I  might  be  lifted 
up  upon  the  cross;  and  after  that  I  had  been  lifted 
up  upon  the  cross,  that  I  might  draw  all  men 
unto  me,  that  as  I  have  been  lifted  up  by  men  even 
so  should  men  be  lifted  up  by  the  Father,  to  stand 
before  me,  to  be  judged  of  their  works,  whether 
they  be  good  or  whether  they  be  evil — 

"And  for  this  cause  have  I  been  lifted  up;  there- 
fore, according  to  the  power  of  the  Father  I  will 
draw  all  men  unto  me,  that  they  may  be  judged 
according  to  their  works. 

"And  it  shall  come  to  pass,  that  whoso  repenteth 
and  is  baptized  in  my  name  shall  be  filled;  and  if 
he  endureth  to  the  end,  behold,  him  will  I  hold 
guiltless  before  my  Father  at  that  day  when  I  shall 
stand  to  judge  the  world. 

"And  no  unclean  thing  can  enter  into  his  king- 
dom; therefore  nothing  enter eth  into  his  rest  save 
it  be  those  who  have  washed  their  garments  in  my 
blood,  because  of  their  faith,  and  the  repentance 
of  all  their  sins,  and  their  faithfulness  unto  the 
end. 

"Now  this  is  the  commandment:  Repent,  all  ye 
ends  of  the  earth,  and  come  unto  me  and  be  bap- 
tized  in  my  name,  that  ye  may  be  sactified  by  the 
reception  of  the  Holy  Ghost,  that  ye  may  stand 
spotless  before  me  at  the  last  day. 

"Verily,  verily,  I  say  unto  you,  this  is  my 
gospel.  .  .  . 

".  .  .  Therefore,  what  manner  of  men  ought  ye 
to  be?  Verily  I  say  unto  you,  even  as  I  am." 
(3  Nephi  27:13-16,  19-21,  27.) 


Then  let  every  heart  keep  its  Christmas  within, 
Christ's  pity  for  sorrow,  Christ's  hatred  for  sin, 
Christ's  care  for  the  weakest, 

Christ's  courage  for  right, 
Christ's  dread  for  darkness, 

Christ's  love  of  the  light, 
Everywhere,  everywhere, 
Christmas  tonight! 


By  George  MacDonald 

They  all  were  looking  for  a  king 

To  slay  their  foes,  and  lift  them  high ; 

Thou  cam'st  a  little  baby  thing, 
That  made  a  woman  cry. 


156 


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tiAppcti  Ar  cnRisrmAS 
u/rcn  fxmtites  wno  iovt 


By  Elaine  Cannon 


•  Christmas  is  a  beautiful  time  of  the  year. 

Hidden  somewhere  beneath  the  wrappings, 
among  the  greens  and  candleglow,  behind  the 
laughter  and  delightful  confusion  of  the  holiday, 
ever  shines  the  secret  of  the  season — the  ideal  of 
our  Savior's  life,  that  we  love  one  another. 

"Beloved,  let  us  love  one  another"  is  an  easy 
command  if  there  is  a  new  diamond  on  your  finger. 
It's  a  natural  when  a  missionary  has  brought  the 
gospel  to  a  true  seeker.  But  to  have  mercy  on  the 


sinner,  to  be  patient  with  the  stubborn,  to  find 
appeal  in  the  less  attractive  and  understanding  for 
the  one  who  differs  with  us,  that  is  indeed  a 
different  matter.  The  idea  of  Christ's  counsel  that 
we  love  even  our  enemies  and  that  we  accept 
them  in  spite  of  how  they  look  or  act  might  seem 
to  be  unattainable  perfectionism.  After  all,  who 
is  doing  it  really? 

Yet  imperfection  doesn't  mean  the  idea  is  at 
fault,  or  that  the  principle  won't  work.  It  isn't 
who  is  or  who  isn't  complying.  Rather,  for  us  it 
is  how  steadily  we're  moving  in  the  direction  of 
perfection  in  love  and  experiencing  the  resultant 
joy  along  the  way. 

Christmas  is  a  beautiful  time  of  awakening  once 
more  to  the  ideal.  Beautiful  things  happen  when 
families  and  friends  love  each  other  in  a  Christ- 
like way  and  work  at  widening  their  circle  of 
loved  ones  and  dear  acquaintances.      ► 


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The  wrought  iron  gate  around  the  temple  marks  the  be- 
ginning for  a  beautiful  family  and  the  beautiful  Christ- 
mases  that  follow  ever  after,  with  pine  boughs  and 
lamplight,  the  caroling,  the  packaging,  the  welcoming 
door,  the  colorful  lights,  the  baking,  the  tree  with  its 
mood-making  decorations,  and  most  memorable  of  all,  the 
scripture  reading  that  strengthens  the  "twigs"  that  sprout 
from  the  family  tree.  That's  what  a  beautiful  Christmas 
is.  all  about. 

Photos  of  the  Maynard  M.  Sorensen  family,  taken  by  Eidon  K.  Lixischoten 


■ 


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Ebronix  Franchise  Director 
1280  Cherry  Lane     Provo,  Utah     84601 
OF<  CALL:   (801)  373-1930  Collect 


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LEARNING  CENTERS 

HOME  OFFICE:  BOISE,  IDAHO    (208)  343-1215 


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County  qa  coMidaiitimM&i 

HEWTMIE  HILLS 


nt  m  h  i  a  liteiinR  tr  toi  i  mm  w. 


BROKERS  WELCOME 


Both  offerings  at  WHOLESALE  PRICES! 


FIRST  OFFERING        SECOND  OFFERING 

Available  Now!  Ready  Soon 

20  ACRE  PARCELS  5  ACRE  PARCELS 

$600 


A   beautiful   mountain  setting 
with   trees,   brooks,   and 
wildlife,   Heritage   Hills   is 
more  than  land,  it  is  an 
opportunity  to  invest  in  the 
future   for   yourself    and    your 
family.   Heritage  Hills  is 
within  minutes  of  Provo  and 
an  easy  drive  to  Salt  Lake  City. 


Tod"'" 


per  acre 
and  up 


5  acre  divisions  will  be  offered  in  the 
mediate  future.  Contact  us  right  now  a 
be     included     on     our     rapidly     growing 
priority    list!.  Don't    hesitate    .    .    .   only    a 
limited  number  of  sites  will  be  available. 


1 

1    HERITAGE  HILLS 

I    p  O.  Box  603 

\    prove,  Utah  84601  ^    . 

Name __   ! 

\ 


GENEROUS  TERMS 


State 


Address 

City 
"  i , 

Resident  Broker  BUSHNELL  REAL  ESTATE,  Inc.    P.O.  Box  603   Provo,  Utah  84601    Telephone  (801)  373-6650 


e  find  inspiration  in  our  great  heritage  of 
banking  service  dating  back  practically  100 
years. 

The  Bank  of  Deseret  (which  became  the 
)eseret  National  Bank  and  later  First  Security 
Bank)  was  founded  under  Territorial  Law  in 
1871. 

President  BRIGHAM  YOUNG  of  the  Church 
of  Jesus  Christ  of  Latter-day  Saints  was  the 
bank's  first  president. 

The  organizational  meeting  was  held  in  the 
old  city  hall  and  the  election  of  the  board  of 
directors  took  place  in  the  Tabernacle  in  Salt 


Lake  City.  The  bank  was  located  at  the  north- 
east corner  of  Main  Street  and  First  South 
Street.  Headquarters  of  First  Security  Bank 
remain  in  this  same  location— the  oldest  con- 
tinuous banking  corner  in  Utah. 

Church  officials  continue  to  help  guide  the 
destinies  of  First  Security.  At  the  present  time 
more  than  150  officers  of  First  Security  in 
Utah  and  Idaho  are  Church  leaders  .  .  .  past 
and  present  Stake  Presidents,  Bishops,  Priest- 
hood and  auxiliary  organization  officers  and 
teachers,  including  members  of  the  First  Presi- 
dency and  Council  of  Twelve. 


First  Security  Bank 

Member  First  Security  Corporation  System  of  Banks 
RESOURCES  OVER  ONE  BILLION  DOLLARS 

FIRST  SECURITY  BANK  OF  UTAH.  NATIONAL  ASSOCIATION. 

FIRST  SECURITY  BANK  OF  IDAHO,  NATIONAL  ASSOCIATION. 

FIRST  SECURITY  STATE  BANK. 

FIRST  SECURITY  BANK  OF  ROCK  SPRINGS.  WYOMING. 

MEMBERS  FEDERAL  DEPOSIT  INSURANCE  CORPORATION.